Delphiniums

Delphinium.  By the time you've said the name, Summer's over!  There are two different stories about the origin of the name. One version, is that the tall, spikey, multi-flowered plant is named for the ancient Greek city of Delphi, home to the Oracle of Delphi.

The plant was orignally named Delphinium Apollo, after the Greek god of the sun (you know, Zeus' son).  Apollo was not only the sun god, he presided over art, music, poetry, prophecy, truth, light, and healing.  He taught mortal men the art of medicine.  He could also bring on plagues.

That may be another link between Apollo and delphiniums.  As beautiful as they are, delphiniums are toxic to both humans and livestock.  They can kill cattle. Strangely, domestic sheep are immune to the plant's poison.

Delphiniums have five sepals, forming a small pocket with spurs at one end.  In days gone by, the spurs reminded English farmers of the sharp spurs on the claws of meadow larks, thus the other name for delphinium - Larkspur.

Depending on the variety, this perennial will grow anywhere from three to seven feet, making it a favourite choice for gardeners creating structure, and drama in a garden.  The plants need to be staked, otherwise they may topple over in a strong wind.

Blue is an unusual, and therefore sought-after colour in a garden.  Delphiniums come in all shades of blue - ethereal blue, powder blue, lavender, lapis, purple, and indigo.  There are also white delphiniums, pink delphiniums, rare red delphiniums (Cardinale Delphiniums), and even rarer bright yellow delphiniums, which grow in California.

But, I digress...I said there were two stories about the origins of the name.  The second story requires imagination.  A lot of imagination.  The flowers are said to resemble dolphins leaping out of the water.  The Greek word for dolphin?  Delphin.  

I poured through botanical images to find anything that looked like leaping dolphins, and found one image.  This 1820 illustration (below) does capture that frolicking dolphin look.  Apollo believed dolphins were sacred creatures. 

Were the flowers named for Apollo's city of Delphi, or for the dolphins he revered?  I do not have the answer.  Like the great Oracle of Delphi, I will make this prophecy:  if you plant delphiniums in your garden this year, you'll enjoy them for years to come!

Botanical illustration (1820), The Botanical Register, Wiki Images.

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.