Delphinium umbraculorum

Umbrella larkspur

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Umbrella larkspur is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in southern Coast Ranges and Transverse Ranges in moist oak forest at elevations of 400 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces blue to purple flowers with distinctive reflexed lateral sepals 10 to 16 millimeters long and a curved spur 11 to 14 millimeters long. Growing 40 to 85 centimeters tall with stems that are slightly narrower at the base and nearly smooth, it develops a firmly attached root system. Its leaves are divided into 3 to 10 lobes, each wider than 4 millimeters, with basal and cauline leaves appearing nearly hairless. The plant produces smooth, winged seeds in fruits 15 to 19 millimeters long.

Habitat: Moist oak forest

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 400-1600 m

Bioregions: SCoRO, WTR.

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