Consolida regalis

RHS Plant Profile

branching larkspur

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Other common names

forking larkspur, king's consound, knight's spur, wild larkspur

Synonyms

Delphinium consolida

Annual Biennial

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Upright, hairy, well-branched annual about 60cm tall, with ferny, palmate mid-green leaves, and loose spikes of darkest blue to purplish flowers from late spring through summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Sand, Loam

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Sand Loam

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: All parts, including the seed, are harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Consolida are upright annuals with deeply pinnately or palmately dissected leaves, and racemes or panicles of small, spurred, delphium-like flowers in summer
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Europe, Caucasia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in full sun; for cut flowers, cut when only the lowermost buds are open

Propagation

Propagate by seed: sow in early autumn and prick out in early spring, sow under cover in early spring, or sow outside in late spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wildflower meadow
Bedding
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews