Colorado larkspur
Delphinium alpestre Rydb.
Colorado larkspur is a perennial of high mountain slopes. Its stems stand five to twenty-five centimetres tall, with the leaves crowded into the lowest portion when the plant flowers. A cluster of two to eight dark-blue flowers rises above this base. Kew POWO: Delphinium alpestreFlora of North America: Delphinium alpestre
Botanical name
Kew accepts Delphinium alpestre Rydb.; Delphinium ramosum var. alpestre is a homotypic synonym. Kew POWO: Delphinium alpestre
Recognizing the plant
The leaf blades are round to five-sided before dividing into several lobes. Hairs cover the stems, leaves and flower stalks. The blue sepals have rounded tips; one extends into a spur that is nearly straight, often bending slightly downward at its end. Smaller, divided lower petals partly cover the stamens. The fruits remain finely hairy, and the unwinged seeds have rough surfaces. Flora of North America: Delphinium alpestre
Bloom window
Colorado and northern New Mexico high mountains
The North American flora records flowering in mid- to late summer in this high-elevation range. Flora of North America: Delphinium alpestre
Native range
Its native range runs from central and south-central Colorado into northern New Mexico. Flora of North America places it on exposed talus slopes on high peaks, usually around thirty-eight hundred metres elevation or higher, occasionally down to thirty-four hundred metres. Kew POWO: Delphinium alpestreFlora of North America: Delphinium alpestre
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.