the.com/delphinium
a tower of impossible blue that's basically a beautiful way to poison your garden.
means A tall garden flower (genus Delphinium) prized for its spires of blue, purple, or white blooms — and notably toxic if eaten.
from From Greek 'delphinion,' a diminutive of 'delphis,' meaning dolphin — Dioscorides and other ancient writers thought the unopened flower bud, with its curved nectar spur, resembled a leaping dolphin. The name swam through Latin into botanical use, so every spike of garden blue still quietly carries a dolphin in its name.
- toxic throughout
- Every part contains heart-stopping alkaloids
- name origin
- Greek for dolphin, after the bud's shape
- killed livestock
- Once a leading cause of cattle death out West
- true blue
- One of few flowers achieving genuine sky-blue
- sky reach
- Spires can climb over six feet tall
delphinium elatum — tall bearded delphinium species native to siberia, grows 4-6 feet high
delphinium cardinale — scarlet larkspur found in southern california mountains, bright red flowers
delphinium requienii — tiny alpine delphinium from the maritime alps, only 4-8 inches tall