very lovely - I have been trying out some new delphiniums - waiting on the oddly coloured requienii and the pale yellow zalil, Expecting a new order of seeds from Plantworld too - v,excited by these.

how long does this bloom?

It has been blooming two weeks and others in the clump have not even started to bloom yet. In my garden, a month. It might be the kind of thing that I could stretch the bloom out with watering.

So beautiful! The flowers look very delicate and delphinium - like, but the stems have that sturdy as nails appearance to them which would be nice. Staking delphs is something I don't look forward to.

Kevin

I am seeing them on the roadside getting two feet tall. I will have fun collecting seed this summer.

I started looking these up. Man! There are some really nice native ones that like dry conditions. I like them better than those real fancy ones I cannot grow here and which would stand out like overdressed plants in my garden anyway. This is a whole new plant family to look into. Speaking of fun plant names, the one ranchers try to eradicate is called 'Duncecap'. Its toxic to livestock. Just edumacating myself on the world of perennial larkspur that can be grown down here where its hot.

There is even a red one on the calflora site.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?where-genus=Delphinium

most of the ranunculaceae family is avoided by livestock.....and yep, there are some lovely species delphs to be tried.D.nudicaule was a bit of a fail for me....but might have another go-round as there are quite a few newer cultivars.....and my seed source was dubious.

Here is a seed source that carries a lot of interesting native varieties.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.alplains.com/

"y'all" are in much warmer climate...do you think this would be hardy zone7?

D.bulleyana, D.oxysepalum are a couple which spring to mind...and also, I think the yellow zalil would he hardy to Z6. The biennial d.requiennii too.

It grows naturally from South texas through all of Central Canada, so it is safe to say that it will grow in Zone 7.

Here is a link that might be useful: Delphinium carolinianum range

all riiiight!

TXranger, That's not fair, those californians have way too many perennial larkspurs. They should share. No really, Thanks for the site. It was very interesting.

Oh I meant to include this info also for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: LBJ listing for D carolinianum

Oh I don't know, I think that one you have is just as pretty as the ones in California. If I am going to get jealous it'll be over their buckwheats & salvias, not their delphiniums. The only one I had been familiar with until you posted that pretty one was one called Ghost Delphinium. PoSW sells seed, I looked and went on without wanting it cuz it looked kind of dull. Of course if I saw one in real life, it might be different, that happens a lot.

I'll tell ya whats not fair, the best native surprise I've come up with is Perfume Balls gaillardia so I'd be beside myself seeing that delphinium growing wild.

Feh, I have ordered that (if it is what I am thinking of -D.novo mexicana...or white mountain larkspur). Everytime one of these threads are up I find myself on Plantworld (our only decent seed source for rarities), doing another order. This seed greed is an illness, I tell ya!

When I lived on the farm, we had a wild larkspur with white flowers that grew in our pasture. The locals called it loco weed. We lost 2 nice dairy cows from eating this plant. We got them over it the first time, but I guess they crave it because they found some again. They actually go crazy. It was hard to see. My husband had to shoot them.

I know that they are toxic. All larkspurs are. Cows are SO DUMB. I no longer have to worry about cows.

Ranchers might pay you to dig some up. Theres other plants native gardeners like that ranchers hate. Gutierrezia & Oxytropis (Locoweed) look great in a native garden but are hated by ranchers. Astralagus is also poisonous to cattle, these same cows are real good at spreading cactus by eating the pads and dropping them in piles to form new plants infesting areas with cactus. You really have to wonder about cows eating prickly pear cactus. Of course its mostly Texas cows since Okie cows have better pickings and more native grassland still intact in spite of the ongoing drought, its been a hard time for grazers.