Delphinium hansenii
Eldorado larkspur
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Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Delphinium hansenii (Eldorado larkspur) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family.
Eldorado larkspur is a California native perennial found in foothill and lower montane habitats at elevations ranging from low to moderate heights. Flowering from spring to early summer, this plant produces blue to purple flowers with distinctive lateral sepals and a curved spur, forming dense clusters of over 12 blooms. Growing with erect stems 25 to 180 centimeters tall that are puberulent at the base, it develops a robust and branching structure. Its leaves are hairy, particularly on the undersides, with deeply divided blades featuring 3 to 18 intricate lobes that create a delicate, lacy appearance. The fruit develops as a distinctive seed pod 8 to 20 millimeters long, with seeds covered in fine prickly textures.
Habitat and range
California counties: Tulare, El Dorado, Kern, Butte, Fresno, Tuolumne, Madera, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tehama, Amador, Contra Costa, Yolo, Sutter, Placer, Inyo, Yuba, Los Angeles, Solano, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Nevada, Alameda, Merced, San Luis Obispo
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 hansenii native to California?
Yes. Delphinium hansenii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Delphinium hansenii grow?
Delphinium hansenii occurs in Tulare, El Dorado, Kern, Butte, Fresno, Tuolumne, Madera, Calaveras and other counties.
What plant family does Delphinium hansenii belong to?
Delphinium hansenii is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Delphinium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Delphinium hansenii subsp. ewanianum — Ewan's larkspur
- Delphinium hansenii subsp. hansenii — Hansen's larkspur
- Delphinium hansenii subsp. kernense — Kern county larkspur
- Delphinium hesperium — Foothill larkspur
- Delphinium hesperium subsp. cuyamacae — Cuyamaca larkspur
- Delphinium hesperium subsp. hesperium — Western 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.