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Annual Biennial

Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly'

delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'

A short lived perennial often grown as a biennial or annual with long stalks formed with divided green leaves and spikes packed with gentian-blue flowers which can be occasionally white in summer.

Synonyms
Delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Blue White Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

West–facing or South–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Humans/Pets: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus

Delphinium can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with palmately lobed basal leaves and showy bowl-shaped flowers in spikes, racemes or panicles

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Will grow well in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every other week during the growing season. It will need shelter from strong winds; staking may be necessary. See staking: perennials and delphinium cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by basal cuttings in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Deadhead spent flower spikes back to fresh flowering side shoots and cut back to ground level in late autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, earwigs, delphinium leaf miner, delphinium moth caterpillars, slugs, snails and caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews, delphinium black blotch, crown rot and viruses

Get involved

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