Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Delphinium nudicaule is a flowering plant known by the common names red larkspur, orange larkspur, and canyon delphinium. It sends up long, stringy thin stems with few leaves and bears attractive larkspur flowers in shades of red and orange. It is native to the low elevation canyons, foothills, and slopes of California and Oregon. The flowers attract hummingbirds. The root of the plant has been historically used as a medicinal narcotic, chiefly by the Mendocino Native Americans.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

6 - 48 in Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Orange, Red

Flowering season

Spring

Sun

Deep Shade, Partial Shade

Water

Low, Moderate, High

Soil drainage

Slow

Soil description

Prefers moist clay or heavy soil.

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment; 1 mo. stratification may improve germination.

Sunset Zones

1, 2, 5, 7*, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*

Site type

Moist talus, wooded, rocky slopes:

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Yellow Pine Forest

Hummingbirds
Bats
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 3 likely

Confirmed Likely

Verbena Bud Moth

Endothenia hebesana

Spotted Straw Sun Moth

Heliothis phloxiphaga

Bilobed Looper Moth

Megalographa biloba