ONH Plants - Larkspur

Larkspur

Delphinium sp.

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1 - Larkspur, Delphinium sp., with Paintbrush and Phlox.
07/19/2008 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park
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2 - Larkspur and Olympic Onion.
07/03/2018 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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3 - Larkspur and Phlox.
07/05/2009 Klahhane Switchback Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington
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4 - Larkspur.
07/06/2013 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington
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5 - Larkspur.
07/03/2018 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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6 - Larkspur. Note the white color of the upper part of the center of the flower. This white is seen in the other photos on this site with the exception of slide 7.
07/22/2009 Klahhane Switchback Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington
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7 - Larkspur. In this plant, the upper center of the flower is purple like the rest of the flower.
7/07/2012 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park
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8 - Larkspur.
08/01/2011 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park
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9 - Larkspur.
07/19/2008 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park
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10 - Larkspur. Slides 10-14 show flowers in which the predominant flower color is true blue (rather than purple).
07/09/2007 Elwha Trail, Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington
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11 - Larkspur. Slides 10-14 show flowers in which the predominant flower color is true blue (rather than purple).
07/10/2010 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington
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12 - Larkspur. Slides 10-14 show flowers in which the predominant flower color is true blue (rather than purple).
07/05/2009 Klahhane Switchback Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington
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13 - Larkspur and Olympic Onion. Slides 10-14 show flowers in which the predominant flower color is true blue (rather than purple).
07/03/2018 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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14 - Larkspur. Slides 10-14 show flowers in which the predominant flower color is true blue (rather than purple).
07/03/2018 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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15 - Larkspur. The long hollow “spur” is the place where nectar can be obtained by a bumble bee with a long proboscis.
07/03/2018 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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16 - Larkspur growing near Lomatium. We have only rarely seen this pale flower color.
07/16/2013 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington
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17 - Larkspur. Here is the flower just before a bumble bee approaches.
05/30/2015 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington
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18 - A bumble bee arrives.
05/30/2015 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington
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19 - Another bumblebee approaches a larkspur. Note the extended proboscis.
06/09/2015 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
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20 - A second later the bumble bee is using its proboscis to obtain nectar. And importantly from the perspective of the plant, when the bee touches the flower, pollen carried on the surface of the bee is transferred to this flower and pollen of this flower is picked up onto the surface of the bee.
06/09/2015 Upper Wolf Creek Trail, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

The Larkspur plants we have photographed typically have flowers with intense colors of purple, or purple-blue or true blue. Uncommonly we have seen pale flowers. They fit the description of Rockslide Larkspur, Delphinium glareosum, (also known as Gravel Larkspur or Little Larkspur). This species grows in rocky soil on open slopes. Two other species of Larkspur grow on the Olympic peninsula, D. glaucum and D. menziesii.

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