Never heard of it? Ask a cowboy and chances are you’ll get an expletive filled description of this beautiful flower. The flower is low maintenance and grows freely in the wild. It’s when it makes its way to grazing pastures that cowboys have a problem with the larkspur. It is highly poisonous to cattle and has led to untold numbers of deaths. The larkspur is a tall beautiful flower variation of the delphinium. The long spike of the flower reminded people of the nose of a dolphin. Delphinium is Greek for “dolphin”. The spike also reminded some people of parts of the lark, thus the name larkspur (Shakespeare referred to it as lark’s heel). Like characteristics of the people born in July the flower stands for lightheartedness and levity.
The larkspur is a great addition to any tall floral arrangement. Its tall, beautiful spikes come in a variety of colors and accentuate the beauty of all its surrounding flowers or can stand on its own. The flowers typically bloom in the summer months between June and September. Found throughout the world today, its origin can be traced back to the birthplace of civilization, Greece. Shortly after the death of Achilles, at the behest of Athena (Achilles’ mother) it was decided that his armor was to be given to the bravest Greek warrior. Having proven himself in battle repeatedly and even personally rescuing the armor and body of Achilles from the Trojans, Ajax was the odds on favorite. To the dismay of most, particularly Ajax, the armor was awarded to Odysseus instead. Dejected and disgraced, Ajax killed himself. The Scarlet larkspur began to grow where Ajax’s blood was spilled. Today, the scarlet larkspur occurs naturally in coastal climates. Canyons and its surrounding areas are a favorite for the Orange larkspur. Blue larkspur is common in the southeastern United States.
Aside from its aesthetic qualities, larkspur has medicinal value as well. The seeds are ground to a powder and used to treat toothaches. In the civil war, soldiers used the powder in their hair to kill lice. Transylvanians used the blue variation of the flower to ward off witches. New Yorkers include it in their floral displays to ward off the blues.
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