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Delphinium carolinianum

wild blue larkspur

Ranunculaceae

Central and southeastern United States

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Delphinium carolinianum is an upright herbaceous perennial in the buttercup family, growing 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall on a slender, mostly unbranched stem from a cluster of small tuberous roots. The leaves are deeply palmately divided into narrow, finger-like segments and are concentrated near the base and lower stem. From spring the stem ends in a narrow spike of spurred flowers, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, with five petal-like sepals in blue to violet, occasionally white, and a backward-pointing nectar spur. The flowers are set for visits from long-tongued bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The plant grows on dry prairies, glades, rocky open woods, and sandy ground, and goes dormant by midsummer after seeding. It is hardy and drought tolerant once established but short-lived in heavy or wet soil. All parts contain diterpenoid alkaloids that are poisonous to people and livestock if eaten. The plant returns from its root cluster each spring and spreads slowly by seed in open, sunny ground.

Native Range

Delphinium carolinianum is native to the central and southeastern United States, from the Great Plains east to the Carolinas and south to Texas and Florida. It grows in dry prairies, glades, sandy open woods, and rocky barrens.

Suggested Uses

Wild blue larkspur is used in prairie and native plantings, rock gardens, and pollinator borders on dry, sunny ground. It suits lean, well-drained sites among grasses and other prairie forbs. Its toxicity limits its use where children or livestock are present.

How to Identify

The deeply palmately cut leaves with narrow segments and a slender spike of blue to violet spurred flowers mark this larkspur. Each flower has five petal-like sepals and a backward-pointing spur about 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) long. The plant stands 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall on a thin, often unbranched stem and dies back by midsummer.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs in spring and early summer, generally April through June. The spurred blue to violet flowers open from the bottom of the spike upward over a few weeks. Dry, beaked seed pods follow, and the plant goes dormant soon after seeding.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue to purple

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Wild blue larkspur grows in full sun to light shade on dry, sharply drained sandy, rocky, or loamy soils and tolerates lean ground. It is drought tolerant once established and goes summer-dormant after flowering and setting seed. Wet or heavy soils shorten its life, and it is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. The plant returns from a cluster of small tuberous roots each spring. All parts are poisonous to people and livestock if eaten, due to diterpenoid alkaloids. It spreads slowly by seed in open, sunny sites.

Pruning

Spent flower spikes can be cut after bloom to limit self-seeding, though some seed left in place renews the planting. The foliage yellows and dies back on its own by midsummer and can then be cleared. No other pruning is needed.