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Delphinium tricorne

dwarf larkspur

Ranunculaceae Eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Delphinium tricorne is a spring-flowering perennial in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), reaching 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall in bloom and spreading 6-10 inches (15-25 cm). The basal leaves are deeply palmately divided into 5-7 narrow lobes, each lobe again cut, forming a cluster 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) across. Flowering stems carry 3-15 flowers in an open raceme. Each flower is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, with five petal-like sepals in deep blue to violet, occasionally white, and a straight backward-projecting spur 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm). The plant is a spring ephemeral: foliage emerges in early spring, flowers open, and the above-ground growth dies back to a cluster of small fingerlike tubers by early summer. All parts contain diterpenoid alkaloids that are toxic to humans and livestock if ingested. D. tricorne grows in rich deciduous woodland soils and goes dormant during summer drought, so surrounding plantings carry the season after it disappears. Seed forms in three-parted follicles, the feature behind the epithet tricorne, meaning three-horned.

Native Range

Native to eastern North America, Delphinium tricorne occurs from Pennsylvania and Minnesota south to Georgia, Oklahoma, and Alabama. It grows in rich deciduous woods, wooded slopes, and bluffs, often over limestone.

Suggested Uses

Used in woodland and native plant gardens, shaded rock gardens, and naturalized plantings beneath deciduous trees. Because it goes dormant by midsummer, it is combined with ferns or later-emerging perennials that fill the space it vacates. It also suits pollinator plantings for its early-season nectar.

How to Identify

Look for a low spring perennial with deeply divided, almost hand-shaped basal leaves cut into narrow lobes. The flowers are blue to violet, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, each with a straight backward spur and arranged in an open cluster of 3-15. The three-parted, widely spreading seed follicles separate it from taller summer larkspurs. Foliage withers and disappears by early summer, unlike D. exaltatum, which persists and blooms later.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'

Width/Spread6" - 10"

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks

Spring

Flowers open in early to mid spring, generally April to May depending on latitude. Bloom lasts roughly 2-3 weeks on each plant. Pollination is mainly by queen bumblebees and other long-tongued bees able to reach the spur nectar.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

deep blue to violet, occasionally white

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-6 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 Range6.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years from seed

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part shade to full shade in humus-rich, moderately moist but well-drained soil with a near-neutral to slightly alkaline pH around 6.5-7.5. Spring moisture supports leaf growth and flowering, after which the plant tolerates dry summer shade while dormant. Established plants are slow to recover from root disturbance and transplanting. Propagation is from fresh seed sown in fall, which needs a cold, moist period to germinate. A leaf-litter mulch maintains the organic, woodland-floor conditions it occupies. Summer dieback to the tuber is part of the normal annual cycle, not a sign of decline.

Pruning

No pruning is required. Spent flower stalks can be removed after bloom if seed is not wanted, while the foliage is left until it yellows and dies back naturally in early summer. Cutting back green leaves early reduces the reserves stored in the tubers for the following year.