Delphinium luteum

Golden larkspur, Golden Larkspur

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Golden larkspur is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges in Marin and Sonoma counties, occurring in moist coastal grasslands, chaparral, and cliff habitats at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with distinctive forward-pointing sepals and a curved spur 13 to 20 millimeters long. Growing 20 to 55 centimeters tall with stems slightly narrower at the base and mostly smooth, it has a root system over 15 centimeters deep with branching characteristics. Its leaves are generally basal, somewhat fleshy and smooth, with lobes wider than 6 millimeters. The fruit curves slightly and measures 11 to 14 millimeters in length, containing smooth seeds with an inflated collar.

Habitat: Moist sites, cliffs, coastal grassland, chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: n CCo (Marin, Sonoma cos.).

California counties: Sonoma, Marin, San Bernardino, Los Angeles

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.