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Ranunculaceae
Nelson's Larkspur
Delphinium nelsonii
Lightness and levity.
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus
- Delphinium
- Native to
- Western United States
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 6-20 inches
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, rocky
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Nelson's larkspur was named after Aven Nelson, a prominent American botanist who specialized in Rocky Mountain flora.
- The flower has a distinctive backward-pointing spur that contains nectar, accessible mainly to long-tongued bumblebees.
- All parts of the plant are highly toxic to cattle and are one of the leading causes of cattle poisoning on western rangelands.
- It is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring in the Rocky Mountain region, often appearing just after snowmelt.
- Hummingbirds are important pollinators of Nelson's larkspur, attracted by the blue-purple flowers.
Color meanings
0
swiftness
1
lightness of being
2
open heart