Delphinium King Arthur - Larkspur

The Larkspur or Delphinium Pacific 'King Arthur is a perennial variety that offers magnificent towering flower heads in summer, the same height as a man, gathering semi-double flowers of a bright and deep violet-blue, illuminated by a white eye. Imperial and spectacular in the back of a border, this plant requires staking. Delphiniums thrive in the sun in rich, deep, permeable, moist soils.

The Delphinium 'Pacific King Arthur' is one of the many hybrids ((x) cultorum) obtained by cross-breeding D. elatum, which gave birth, among others, to the famous "Pacific Giant" series. The "Pacifics" are remarkable recently obtained hybrids for the size of their inflorescences, from 1m (3ft) to 1.20m (4ft) long on numerous stems reaching 1.8m (6ft) to 2m (7ft) in height.

'King Arthur' is a tall, short-lived herbaceous perennial plant with rapid growth. It forms a clump of very dissected palmate foliage, tender green, which emerges in summer flowering stems 1m (3ft) tall on numerous stems reaching 1.8m (6ft) in height. The main flowering occurs in June and reblooms in September if the stems are cut back as they fade. It is very visited by pollinating insects. The flowers are semi-double, 5cm (2in) in diameter cups, gathered on tall, sturdy spikes. They show petals of intermediate colour between dark violet and blue-violet around a pretty collar visible from afar, called 'fly' or 'bee', of pure white colour. The plant develops from a woody rootstock plunging vertically into the soil.

The characteristic silhouette of Delphiniums always gives volume, verticality, and a lot of charm to perennial plant borders. They are good companions for moss or gallica roses, with which they form charming and romantic scenes. You can create another beautiful combination with pink daylilies, mauve or blue panicle phlox, and paniculate baby's breath. This variety will need careful staking or rely on tall perennials or flowering bushes. Its flowers hold up well and are particularly appreciated in bouquets.

Note: From March to September, the stems of our delphiniums are pruned short to allow better branching and achieve optimal rooting. This pruning also prevents the stems from breaking during transportation.