Flower of the week – Delphinium

white-delphinium

Common name:  Delphinium, Larkspur

Botanical Names: Delphinium

Origin: China

Colours: blues, purples and whites mainly, rarely salmon pink or yellow

The name is pronounced del-FINNY-um.  It comes from the Latin for dolphin ‘delhpis’, referring to the flower’s resemblance to the bottle-like nose of dolphins.  Delphinium is part of the buttercup family which contains around 300 species, including anemones, clematis and hellebore.  It is rarely referred to as larkspur as there is another closely related plant with similar flowers called larkspur, which has smaller heads and is available in pinks and purples.

lillac-delphinium

They are mainly a summer flower, but some varieties are available all year round.  They are grown in garden for their lovely tall flower spikes.  In the past the flowers were used by Indians to make dyes and paint. The plant is toxic so care should be taken when handling them, wash hands and any tools that have come into contact with them.

electric-blue-delphinium

Delphinium are excellent cut flowers, they look glorious on their own or mixed with other summer flowers like peonies and garden roses.  They last up to a week in a vase or arrangement.  They are such large striking flowers, they are commonly used in large wedding displays such as pedestal arrangements in church.

Images:

Flower Council of Holland

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