How to Grow and Care for Delphiniums

Every spring, I hold my breath and watch the flower beds at the front of the house.

The first year that I lived in my little red Alaska home, I planted three delphiniums. And each year, I wonder if they will make it.

Have they survived the winter? Did my resident moose trample them to death in the muddy throes of spring?

It always amazes me when they push up new stalks through last year’s dead growth, promising brilliant blue-purple flowers to catch the sunrise.

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But sometimes, they struggle.

In my quest to find out why, I learned a lot about growing these tall, stunning members of the buttercup family.

If you’re interested in growing delphiniums, or you’re struggling to care for the ones already growing in your garden, this guide will help you.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

The most popular explanation for the name “delphinium” is that ancient Greeks (in 700-480 BC) thought the unopened buds with their telltale spurs resembled a dolphin’s nose.

In ancient Greek, “dolphin” translates to “delphínion.” It’s easy to see how “delphinium” emerged from the word.

The flowers have been grown and cultivated in gardens since at least the 16th century.

I confess that when I first planted my three delphiniums, I called them larkspur. I have always loved the cheeriness of that word and wanted that to be their name.

But it’s not… quite.

To disentangle the nomenclature of these elegant blooms, let’s start with the Ranunculaceae family, of which buttercups, clematis, monkshood, and columbine are also members.

The five largest