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Native Plant Society of Texas

Prairie Larkspur

Delphinium carolinianum

Other common name(s):

Carolina Larkspur, Blue Larkspur

Family:

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

0.25
to
0.5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Calcareous, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Shrubland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Blue, Purple, White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Moths, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

Low maintenance, drought tolerant, and adapted to a variety of soils. Goes dormant in late summer. Looks nice planted en mass in gardens and wildflower meadows. Larkspurs tend to hybridize and show variations by region. WARNING: all parts are poisonous to humans and animals. Native habitat: dry, open woods, sandy hills, brushlands. prairies.

Description

Blooms March-July. A slender, upright perennial, with unbranched stems. Leaves are divided and lobed into narrow segments. Basal leaves often form a winter rosette which withers before the flowers open. White-blue, spurred flowers appear in a narrow, terminal spike. Seeds are formed dry in a pod.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 185. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DECA3. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Delphinium+carolinianum&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=20729&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=18547#null.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed Stratification
Seed No Treatment Seeds can be direct sown in fall or spring. To plant in the spring, mix the seed with moist sand and store it in the refrigerator for 60 days before direct sowing. This seed can also be planted indoors on the surface of a flat, and kept evenly moist and at a temperature of 60-65 degrees F until germination. Transplant seedlings after the last chance of frost. Seeds are formed dry in a pod, which call for close observation in order to collect before they are thrown out. Mature seed will be a dark brown color. Remove entire stalks of ripe seed pods and spread them out to dry. Alternatively, the plants can be shaken over a container to remove the seed from the open pods. Store the cleaned seed in a cool, dry place. 1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DECA3 2) https://www.everwilde.com/store/Delphinium-carolinianum-WildFlower-Seed.html

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason