10 Neat Things about delphiniums
1. Flower of the sea. Named by the Greeks for the loveliest creature of the sea, the word delphinium comes from the Greek delphis, for dolphin. Lark- spur, a variety of delphinium, was so called by the British because they believed its flower resembled the claw of a lark.
2. Deadly delphinium. Delphinium elatum, the common garden variety delphinium, is powerfully poisonous. It contains an alkaloid called delphinine, which has similar properties to those drawn from Aconitum (monkshood), although a bit weaker. Nevertheless, delphinine kills in much the same way, by attacking the heart.
3. Healing delphinium. Prescribed in minute quantities by those who know their art, delphinium has been used to treat dropsy (a weakening of the heart that causes water to build in the body), gout and as a parasiticide. It was used effectively during the First World War to treat lice and their nits in the hair. Juice from delphinium leaves is said to relieve bleeding hemorrhoids and to relieve spasmodic asthma. Juice from the flowers was used to relieve colic in babies.
4. Only flower with its own dedi- cated art show. Edward Steichen (1879 to 1973) was, by day, a fashion photographer for Condé Nast publica- tions such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, but on his own time, he was a grower of delphiniums. He mounted a show in the Museum of Modern Art in the summer of 1936, showing his seven- foot tall delphiniums. How did he get them that tall? He fed them a cocktail of colchinine (a derivative from the autumn crocus, which is also used to treat gout). Colchinine is a chemi- cal mutagen that promotes chromo- some doubling. His delphs were giants of their times and his Delphinium ‘Connecticut Yankee’, named in honour of Mark Twain, is still available today.
5. Etched in ink. Delphinium flow- ers were ground into powder then mixed with alum to make a very good blue ink. The flowers were also used to make blue dye to colour yarns and other fabrics.
6. Delphinium growing habits.
localgardener.net
White delphiniums.
Delphiniums are happiest in deep rich soil with even moisture and lots of compost. They are heavy feeders enjoy- ing a diet of compost, fortified by a periodic binge on fertilizer. In spite of all this nourishment, alas, they are short-lived, losing some of their vitality after the second or third year. If they don’t self-sow in your garden, re-plant a few each year. You can also take basal cuttings to propagate your favourites.
7. Delphinium symbolism. Delphs signify an open heart and ardent attach- ment. Larkspurs project lightness and swiftness. Delphinium is July’s birth flower.
8. The delphinium leaf tier, Poly-
chrysia esmeralda. This golden winged moth infests delphiniums (and monks- hood, larkspur and globeflower) by overwintering near the bottom of their hollow stems then emerging to create silken nets on leaves and blossoms. The larvae that they lay then blissfully eat their way into the flower buds, destroy- ing the buds as they do so. Dispose of
the worms by hand and cut your delphs to the ground in fall to annihilate their winter home.
9. Delph disease. The most common disease is sclerotinia rot, a fungus that given the chance to mature will turn black before it produces stone-like spores that can drop and remain in the soil for many years. Aster yellows also attack delphiniums. It turns the leaves yellow and wilts the plant.
10. Choose your poison. There are many choices of delphinium, but a few might include the earliest hybrids, ‘Blackmore and Langdon’, introduced in England in 1905. The flowers are pastel blue, white, lavender, violet and indigo. ‘Pacific Coast Giants’ are seven feet tall and come in blue and pink. ‘Magic Fountains’ are only about 30 inches tall. ‘Blue Mirror’ is gentian blue. ‘Green Twist’ is creamy white with green overtones. If you love delphiniums, there are delphinium clubs to join and learn from. Try ondel-
phiniums.com. h
Early Spring 2016 • 19
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