Delphinium (Elatum Group) 'MISTY MAUVES'

Larkspur is a favourite perennial where varieties with blue flowers are most popular. Though, in modern gardens and better garden centres you can find new varieties with pink shades or even purple-red shades as well as white. The name delphinium was used to describe the shape of the flower bud which looks like a dolphin (rather a fat one).

Misty Mauves is a fantastic larkspur variety with double flowers. They open lilac pink and change to mauve or almost pale indigo blue. Individual flowers are mostly semi-double, some are fully double, and exceptionally a few may be single. Misty Mauves is from the New Millennium series bred by an English breeder in New Zealand Terry Dowdeswell. It is a midseason variety making flowers from late July or early August. Deciduous, basal leaves are palmate, deeply lobed, mid green, up to 20 cm across, and usually very healthy throughout the season.

Grow larkspur in any well-drained, humus-rich, garden soil in full sun. It will benefit from mulching as it likes constant moisture. The plant contains toxin which may cause severe discomfort if ingested, or, to some, it may irritate skin. The plant is short-lived unless once in every 3-4 years you dig out the clumps in the spring, divide them, and plant back only the young and healthy ones. Use a high phosphorus fertilizer every year for profuse flowering. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4), possibly more.

Last update 28-01-2014