Ocean View Flowers

Common Name: Larkspur

Family Roots: Member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. Native to the Mediterranean region. Related species include buttercup, clematis, anemone, monkshood, and peony.

Personality: Flowers are 1/2 inch wide, cup-shaped with a spur at the back, and many occur in a long terminal spike. Stems leafy, 32–38 inches long. An annual classed as a dicotyledon, leaves are not parallel-veined. Flowers are not fragrant.

Availability: April–October

Stem Length: 32–38 inches

Flower Length: 12–16 inches

Care & Handling: For maximum bud opening, remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water, and place in a fresh flower food solution. Plant parts are poisonous, so handle with care.

Storage Specifics: 36°–38°F (three days or less), 32°–34°F (more than three days); dry storage not recommended.

Tidbits:“Consolida” is from the Latin “to make whole, referring to possible medicinal” properties. The species often used for cut flowers are C. ambigua, which is branched and in colors of light pink or blue, and C. orientalis, which is more upright and in bright pink and purple. Suitable for drying, hang upside down in ventilated area at 70 °–80 °F for 2–4 weeks. Hundreds of dainty flowers clustered on a single stem swoop dramatically upward as if reaching for the sky. Larkspur makes a stunning addition to any arrangement.