Annuals & Biennials

Delphinium
larkspur

- Height 1-4 ft (30-120 cm)
- Planting distance 9-12 in (23-30 cm)
- Flowers early to late summer
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Sunny or lightly shaded site
- Hardy annual

One of the most enchanting sights in a summer herbaceous border is a mass of blue, white, and pink delphinium spires soaring into the sky above attractive fernlike foliage. Two species - Delphinium ajacis and D. consolida (which botanists now call Consolida ambigua and C. orientalis) and their cultivars - are hardy annuals. Commonly known as larkspurs, they reach 1-4 ft (30-120 cm), so they should be grown in herbaceous borders where there is plenty of space. Though blue and white are the most common flower colors, shades of pink, lavender, and purple are also available.

Popular species and cultivars
Delphinium ajacis (Consolida ambigua), or rocket larkspur, reaches 1-3 ft (30-90 cm) high and has sparsely branching stems bearing spires of loosely arranged flowers. The hyacinth-flowered hybrids are the most commonly grown - they make excellent cut flowers as well as decoration for borders. They come in blues, purples, pinks, and whites. The cultivar 'Imperial Blue Bell' reaches a height of 3-4 ft (90-120 cm) and bears extra-long spikes of double sky-blue flowers. 'Imperial White King' is similar except that its flowers are white. Delphinium consolida (Consolida orientalis), or larkspur, is a taller species, reaching 4 ft (120 cm) high, with a more branching habit. The flowers are arranged in densely packed spikes and come in shades of blue, red, purple, pink, and white.

Annuals
and
Biennials