Delphinium tricorne 3qt (Dwarf Larkspur)

Dwarf Larkspur is a charming little native woodland ephemeral. It blooms for about three weeks from April to May and the racemes have up to 24 individual flowers. The blooms are a rich, velvety, dark purple and they possess a distinctive nectar spur. Many insects use the flowers as a nectar and pollen source, and hummingbirds have even been known to visit them! The plant is generally unpalatable and toxic to mammals.

The root system is tuberous and will produce offshoots while the seeds will readily self-sow around the garden, leading to small colonies of Dwarf Larkspur. It is best to plant them in a sheltered location protected from strong winds as they can be quite top-heavy in bloom. Shortly after the flowers have been pollinated, the plants will start to go dormant. It takes a few years for Delphinium spp. to fill in and look robust, but they are long-lived and worth the patience!

Sources:
Growing and Propagating Wildflowers by William Cullina
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers