In late spring, larkspur grows rapidly on open slopes, providing blue and purple blossoms to complement the yellows and whites of spring.

• Delphinium nutallianum is a perennial that grows from a tuberous, branched fleshy root system.
• A single stalk grows from 15 – 40 cm high. Most of the leaves are basal and palmate (having several lobes (typically 5–7) whose midribs all radiate from one point).
• The raceme develops as flowers with blue petals and blue-purple sepals on short stalks into an irregular shape.
• Larkspur are found in lower and mid-elevations in the drier grasslands, shrublands, ponderosa pine and douglas fir forests of our area.
• All photos taken by the author. Click an image for a caption (month and location) and for a larger (lightbox) image

• Three erect capsules form after flowering and black partly-winged seeds by summer form for dispersal in late summer. .
• Larkspurs are toxic to animals, another poisonous plant in the buttercup family.

These showy blue-purple plants grace the slopes along our hiking routes in spring and summer each year.