Delphinium glaucum
Mountain, giant, or tall larkspur, Or Tall Larkspur
(c) 2007 Dianne Fristrom, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Delphinium glaucum (Mountain) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by tall stature, waxy coating, and wet mountain habitat.
Mountain larkspur is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and northern eastern Sierra Nevada in wet thickets and streambanks at elevations of 1,500 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces purple-blue flowers with sepals 8 to 14 millimeters long and a distinctive spur 10 to 19 millimeters long. Growing with multiple stems 80 to 150 centimeters tall, appearing glaucous and glabrous with prominent rootstock buds. Its leaves are generally glabrous with multiple lobes wider than 6 millimeters, cut sharply at the tips. The plant forms dense clusters with over 50 flowers and produces bumpy seeds in fruits 9 to 20 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; distinguished by tall stature, waxy coating, and wet mountain habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet thickets, streambanks
Elevation: 1500-3200 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Trinity, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Mono, Placer, El Dorado, Sierra, Alpine, Inyo, Madera, Tulare, Nevada, Amador, Mariposa, Calaveras, Lassen, Humboldt, Kern
Outside California: to Alaska, western Colorado
Bloom period
Delphinium glaucum blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Lupinus: Delphinium has backward-pointing spurs on flowers; Lupinus has pea-family flowers with banner-wing-keel structure.; vs Geranium: Delphinium has spurred bilateral flowers; Geranium has radially symmetric 5-petaled flowers with no spur.; vs Epilobium: Delphinium has spurred flowers and palmately divided leaves; Epilobium has unspurred 4-petaled flowers and simple or opposite leaves.; vs Aquilegia: Delphinium has a single spur per flower; Aquilegia has 5 spurs radiating from the center.; vs Aconitum: Delphinium has an open spur with visible stamens; Aconitum has a closed hood hiding the stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Delphinium glaucum native to California?
Yes. Delphinium glaucum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Delphinium glaucum bloom?
Delphinium glaucum blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Delphinium glaucum grow?
Delphinium glaucum occurs in Los Angeles, Trinity, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Mono, Placer, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3200 m.
What plant family does Delphinium glaucum belong to?
Delphinium glaucum is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Delphinium.
What habitat does Delphinium glaucum grow in?
Delphinium glaucum grows in Wet thickets, streambanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Delphinium gracilentum — Slender or greene's larkspur
- Delphinium gypsophilum — Gypsum-loving larkspur
- Delphinium gypsophilum ssp. parviflorum — Small-flowered Gypsum-loving Larkspur
- Delphinium hansenii — Eldorado larkspur
- Delphinium hansenii subsp. ewanianum — Ewan's larkspur
- Delphinium hansenii subsp. hansenii — Hansen's larkspur
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.