Delphinium decorum
Endemic to California, this rhizomatous perennial herb has unbranched stems 15–25 cm tall, puberulent inflorescences with blue-purple sepals and yellow-hairy lower petals, and a terminal raceme of dark blue-purple flowers that bloom in early–mid spring in grasslands and open coastal chaparral (0–100 m), with two recognized subspecies and the ability to hybridize with several other Delphinium species.
Common Names
Coast Larkspur
Summary
Coast larkspur is a rhizomatous perennial in the Ranunculaceae native to California and Oregon, with stems 8–25(–35) cm tall and basal leaves that are 3–5-lobed; inflorescences are puberulent, flowers have lateral sepals 12–24 mm, spurs 13–19 mm, and dark blue-purple sepals with yellow lower-petal hairs, flowering in early to mid spring and growing in grasslands and open coastal chaparral from 0–100 m elevation.
In cultivation, it is a temperate perennial with a rhizomatous growth habit that occurs in grasslands and open coastal chaparral at 0–100 m; hybrids with D. patens are common, especially in disturbed habitats of the San Francisco Bay region, and toxicity to livestock warrants caution around grazing areas.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6-14 inches
Bloom Color
bluish purple to dark blue-purple
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green
Seasons of Interest
Spring
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
- Publication
- Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 3: 33 (1837)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Ranunculales
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus
- Delphinium
Synonyms
Delphinium decorum var. racemosum Delphinium decorum var. sonomensis Delphinium menziesii Delphinium decorum var. decorum Delphinium decorum subsp. decorum