Delphinium parryi subsp. maritimum

Maritime larkspur, Maritime Larkspur

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Maritime larkspur is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including central Coast, southern Coast, and Channel Islands in coastal chaparral at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces blue to purple flowers with distinctive spreading sepals 9 to 20 millimeters long and a curved spur 8 to 21 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems up to 50 centimeters tall, it develops from a compact root system less than 10 centimeters deep. Its basal leaves have 5 to 10 distinctive lobes, each generally wider than 6 millimeters, creating a delicate, intricate foliage pattern. The lower petal blades measure 4 to 11 millimeters, contributing to its elegant, asymmetrical floral structure.

Habitat: Coastal chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo, ChI

California counties: Ventura, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Diego, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, San Benito, Stanislaus

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