Delphinium variegatum
Royal larkspur, Royal Larkspur
(c) Ryan Donnelly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Delphinium variegatum (Royal larkspur) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family.
Royal larkspur is a California native perennial found in the central and northern coastal ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, and Cascade Range in grasslands and open woodlands at elevations of 500 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces blue to purple flowers with distinctive, complex petal structures that create an intricate, delicate bloom. Growing with slender stems less than 50 centimeters tall and notably hairy at the base, it develops a compact, upright form. Its leaves are concentrated on the lower third of the stem, featuring 3 to 15 overlapping lobes with hairy petioles, creating a dense, intricate foliage pattern. The distinctive flower spur ranges from 10 to 19 millimeters long, typically straight or slightly curved at the tip, with lower petals exhibiting varying degrees of inner and marginal hairiness.
Habitat and range
California counties: Butte, Colusa, Sonoma, Tulare, Tehama, Merced, Amador, Calaveras, Monterey, Lake, Contra Costa, El Dorado, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Sacramento, Madera, Mariposa, San Mateo, San Joaquin, Fresno, Mendocino, Placer, Santa Clara, Tuolumne, Solano, Alameda, Kern, San Benito, Nevada, Yuba, Sutter, Plumas, Stanislaus, Shasta, Glenn, Marin, Los Angeles, Yolo, San Francisco
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 variegatum native to California?
Yes. Delphinium variegatum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Delphinium variegatum grow?
Delphinium variegatum occurs in Butte, Colusa, Sonoma, Tulare, Tehama, Merced, Amador, Calaveras and other counties.
What plant family does Delphinium variegatum belong to?
Delphinium variegatum is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Delphinium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Delphinium variegatum subsp. kinkiense — San clemente island larkspur
- Delphinium variegatum subsp. thornei — Thorne's royal larkspur
- Delphinium variegatum subsp. variegatum
- Delphinium ajacis — Doubtful knight's spur
- Delphinium andersonii — Anderson's larkspur
- Delphinium antoninum — Anthony peak larkspur
- Enemion occidentale — Western rue-anemone
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.