Desert Larkspur
Delphinium parishiiDesert Larkspur is one of the most striking wildflowers of the Southwest. With its tall stalks and vivid blue to violet flowers, it adds a bold splash of color to desert slopes and canyons during the spring bloom.
Appearance:
This perennial or biennial wildflower typically grows 1 to 3 feet tall. It has deeply lobed, lacy green leaves mostly at the base of the plant. The tall flower spikes carry numerous bright blue to purple flowers, each with a long spur at the back—classic for larkspurs. Occasionally, pink or pale variants can appear.
Habitat:
Found on rocky slopes, desert washes, and foothills—often growing in gravelly or sandy soils. Common in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, especially at elevations between 2,000 and 6,000 feet.
Bloom Time:
Blooms from March to May, depending on elevation and rainfall.
Pollinators:
Attracts native bees, butterflies, and especially hummingbirds, which are drawn to the rich color and tubular flowers.
Note:
Desert Larkspur is beautiful but should be admired, not handled—all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Its presence is a welcome sign of spring in the desert, standing tall among the low-growing blooms around it.
desert scrub, juniper woodland to 7500 ft., Blooms April to June
The flowers vary from dark blue to sky blue