Delphinium species A-N are found on this wiki page
Delphinium cardinale is a tall species (to 6 feet) that grows from deep woody roots found on hot slopes near chaparral in southern California. It blooms in summer and bears bright red,(occasionally yellow)long-spurred flowers. These photos were taken by John Ingram of a wild population.
The first photo below by Bob Rutemoeller is of a yellow flowered one that appeared in a group of seedlings and is growing in a garden in Northern California. The second photo shows the leaves of one that was planted out and survived a couple of years before it disappeared. The new leaves were eaten showing the necessity of protection from birds and snails and slugs. The last two pictures show flowers of one that at least the first year seems happy growing in a large container sunk in a raised bed and supported. The last three photos were taken by Mary Sue Ittner
Delphinium decorum is a short species with dark blue purple flowers that grows from tuberous roots and is found in grassy coastal areas in California and southern Oregon. It has shiny leaves that are not as dissected as some species and is very hairy. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Delphinium hansenii is found on oak woodland or open chaparral in central California in a wide range of elevations. It has a short slender root with largely basal leaves that are barely divided and dark blue-purple to bluish or reddish flowers, sometimes white in a dense spike.
Delphinium hansenii subsp. hansenii is found in oak woodland and has dark blue-purple to white or pink flowers. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner. Grown from Northwest Native Seeds 00-216 this plant now in the ground instead of a container is very tall with many more flowers. It blooms in summer.
Delphinium hesperium is a white to pinkish or dark blue-purple species that grows from a rootstock. It has narrowly divided leaves with shiny green divisions. Found in grassland and open woodlands this is predominantly a species of northwestern California. The photos below by Mary Sue Ittner show the basal leaves of a garden plant, and a close-up of the flowers.
Delphinium hesperium subsp. hesperium has dark blue purple flowers. This photo was taken on the Mendocino Sonoma Coast where it was overlooking the ocean. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller.
Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens is found more inland and farther south and has white to pinkish or light blue flowers. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Kristina Van Wert from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens bulb collection.
Delphinium hybrid between Delphinim nudicaule and Delphinium luteum. These two species have been known to hybridize. I think this one that appeared is a result. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Delphinium luteum is a very rare species found in only two places on the coastal bluffs of Sonoma County California. It very closely resembles Delphinium nudicaule except it has yellow instead of orange red flowers. It has a distally branched rootstock and mostly basal leaves and is a short species about a foot tall. The second picture is of the basal leaves before flowering. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner
Delphinium nudicaule is found in a broad area of Northern California, Central Western California and Oregon on moist wooded, rocky slopes. It has a distally branched rootstock and scarlet to orange-red flowers and grows from one to two feet. This species is pollinated by hummingbirds and hybridizes with other delphiniums in its range. In a wild population there was a very dark red flower in the middle of the orange-red ones. It could have been a hybrid although I didn't see another species around. I marked it and came back later and saved seed. Most of the seedlings from that plant retained the dark red color. The first three photos were taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Photo #2 shows the darker flower with the usual color. Photo #3 shows the plant blooming well in a container sunk in a raised bed where the soil remains moist longer than in the ground. #4 is a picture of a plant blooming along a county road in Sonoma County, California, was taken by Bob Rutemoeller. The 5th-7th photos taken by Nhu Nguyen. The 5th shows the habitat near Mt. Hamilton, Santa Clara Co, CA. Photo #6 and #7 is an orange form growing on a cliff face in Napa Co. Photo #7 shows the plant growing with Dichelostemma capitatum.
Delphinium nudicaule 'Laurin' This plant was purchased at a nursery and described as more compact with better branching. They suggested with dead heading it would bloom all summer when the species is a winter growing plant dormant in summer. If kept wet it will stay growing, but over time is behaving a bit more like the species.
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