Delphinium elatum is a species of Delphinium known by the common name alpine delphinium or candle larkspur. There are several cultivars covering a range of colours including blue, purple, pink, cream, and white, which are grown as ornamental.
Delphinium elatum, commonly known as delphinium, is an herbaceous perennial of the buttercup family that is native to clearings, woodland margins, and river valleys from southern and central Europe to Siberia. Species plants have been cultivated since 1578. Spicate flowering stems to 3-5’ tall are topped in late spring to early summer with erect, terminal, often spectacular, central flower spikes (racemes) which are densely packed with showy blue florets (25-100 per raceme). Each floret (to 1” across) has 5 blunt, glabrous, petal-like, blue outer sepals (posterior one is spurred) and two pairs of smaller true petals, with the lower two petals being yellow-bearded. The central raceme is surrounded by a number of smaller secondary flowering racemes (sidespikes) which develop from leaf joints below the primary bloom. Palmately lobed green leaves are 5-7 parted near the base.
