20 Delphinium Types With Advice From RHS Gold Medalist Graham Austin
Reviewed By DAN ORI
Dan has over 27 years’ under his belt caring for plants and gardens. Working as a Horticultural Instructor and Consultant, he draws on a diverse range of experience that includes working as a Head Gardener, Tree Surgeon, Garden Centre Trouble Shooter, and writer of academic papers. Dan has a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture and is currently a candidate for the RHS’s most prestigious award – The Master of Horticulture.
Contributions From GRAHAM AUSTIN
Graham Austin is a Delphinium expert and RHS 2022 Gold Medalist who is the owner of Home Farm Plants, a specialist plant nursery.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) D. ‘Jill Curley’
- 2) D. ‘Elisabeth Sahin’
- 3) D. ‘Olive Poppleton’
- 4) D. ‘Atholl’
- 5) D. ‘Walton Gemstone’
- 6) D. ‘Sungleam’
- 7) D. ‘Foxhill Nina’
- 8) D. ‘Spindrift’
- 9) D. ‘Can-Can’
- 10) D. ‘Blue Dawn’
- 11) D. ‘Kestrel’
- 12) D. ‘Langdon’s Blue Lagoon’
- 13) D. ‘Blue Nile’
- 14) D. ‘Clifford Sky’
- 15) D. ‘Galileo’
- 16) D. ‘Bruce’
- 17) D. ‘Fenella’
- 18) D. ‘Michael Ayres’
- 19) D. ‘Purple Velvet’
- 20) D. ‘Faust’
Delphiniums have flower-laden vertical inflorescences in all kinds of hues and shades that make for a spectacular summer show.
These are undemanding hardy perennials that will give the casual gardener much joy year after year.
Delightful delphiniums are much-loved by flower-lovers all around the world for their profusion of charming cup-shaped blossoms that are borne on thick spikes, and also on racemes or panicles.
Also known as Larkspur, these deciduous perennials exhibit a bushy or columnar habit.
They are stately, tall plants, with many varieties attaining heights of 1-2m – sometimes even more.
The flowers’ colours are as striking as the plants’ heights.
Soft shades of pure white, rich cream, and baby pink at one extreme compete with thrilling hues of rich violet and deep indigo at the extreme end of the spectrum.
Also, palmate leaves are so heavily lobed on some varieties that they resemble compound leaves, heightening the attraction of these plants.
As delphiniums combine an uncomplicated charm with a symmetric grace, I believe that these flowering plants are among the very few that are ideally suited for all kinds of gardens, from formal gardens of estates to simple cottage gardens in the countryside.
“I have often said you could easily have a long border filled with just Delphinium varieties, perhaps one day I will try it!” says Master Horticulturist Dan Ori.
“I have had up to 10 types in a long border. I start with the shorter varieties at the front and work backwards, increasing the height.
“I also start with the intense and electric colours nearest the point they are first viewed and work along the border, softening the shades and intensity.”
When we spoke with Graham Austin from Home Farm Plants (a specialist delphinium nursery in Hemel Hempstead), there were a few notable varieties he chose to share from the 100 or so that he grows at his nursery:
“‘Ruby Wedding’, which was bred by a friend of ours, is a unique cranberry colour,” said Graham.
“I must also mention ‘Austin’s Dawn Chorus’, which was raised by us at the Nursery. This is a very early flowering delphinium, hence the name ‘Dawn Chorus’.”
Moving away from Graham’s favourites, underneath I have listed 20 of my favourite varieties to grow here in the UK.
All of my selections have been recipients of the RHS’s Award of Garden Merit and it’s easy to see why.
1) D. ‘Jill Curley’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
Our lead-off variety displays pure white semi-double flowers with an off-white eye on very tall stalks that rise to over 2m.
The flowers are not only relatively large at 8cm or more, but they are also abundant on this floriferous variety.
2) D. ‘Elisabeth Sahin’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
Is an early-to-flower variety rising to heights of up to 1m.
It has pure white flowers (even the centre is white!) but for a delicious twist, the occasional bloom exhibits the barest flush of rose-pink or blue!
The flowering season is over the spring-summer cusp.
3) D. ‘Olive Poppleton’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and yellow
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
‘Olive Poppleton’ completes our treble of whites.
This one has whiter than white semi-double flowers adorned with rich golden eyes.
The snowy white blooms of this free-flowering variety are borne on spikes on a tall plant of upright habit that grows to about 2m.
4) D. ‘Atholl’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and brown
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
Transitioning to black-and-white, ‘Atholl’ has semi-double snow-white flowers with sizeable and conspicuous brown-black eyes, making for a striking contrast.
Flowers are borne on spikes up to 1m in length.
Though this variety has an upright habit, it is well-branched.
5) D. ‘Walton Gemstone’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Silver, grey, purple and white
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
This variety has particularly light green foliage, but the colour of the semi-double flowers defies precise description.
I’d say that they are of a subtle shade of pale greyish-lilac with white eyes, but their tone will seem to shift with the light and the angle.
These tone-shifting blooms are about 7cm wide.
6) D. ‘Sungleam’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and yellow
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
Stiffly erect and about 2m tall, ‘Sungleam’ has 60cm racemes laden with semi-double flowers of a rich creamy shade with buttery flushes and a similarly buttery-yellow eye.
The mid-green leaves are heavily lobed and divided, more so than most varieties.
7) D. ‘Foxhill Nina’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and pink
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
‘Foxhill Nina’ grows to only a little over 1m, which is short for a delphinium.
Its height makes it most apt for the sweet and demure flowers it bears, which are a soft pink trending to light lavender, and sporting white eyes.
These gentle blooms will keep you company plumb in the middle of summer.
8) D. ‘Spindrift’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
Staying with softness and gentility, ‘Spindrift’ also reaches less than 1.5m.
It has a bushy habit on which it produces floral spikes.
The not-so-big semi-double flowers are a charming shade of a very light, pastel lilac with many petals displaying blue flushes and tints, centred with a white eye.
9) D. ‘Can-Can’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Purple and blue
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
This is a variety to seek out because it bears fully double flowers that are about 7cm in diameter.
While the blooms’ colour varies from light purple to deep purple, many petals are edged or flushed with a rich-blue, adding to its delight.
Though its habit is classified as upright, the plant is bushy.
10) D. ‘Blue Dawn’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Brown, blue and purple
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
The flowers of this aptly-named variety are rich-blue, but sometimes of that cool, somewhat steely, tone of blue one sees at daybreak.
There’s also a lovely variation: petals frequently display purple flushes and splashes.
It is an upright variety that is very tall, attaining a height of over 2m.
11) D. ‘Kestrel’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
An especially vigorous variety, ‘Kestrel’ grows from 1.5-2m tall.
Though it has an upright habit, it is also well-branched.
That said, the most notable feature is its flower, which is an astonishingly intense, rich hue of mid-blue with random petals displaying flushes and tints of purple.
12) D. ‘Langdon’s Blue Lagoon’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and blue
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
This variety features flowers of a head-turning shade of blue which is a saturated, almost electric hue.
Prominent white eyes accentuate the intense colour.
The 7cm flowers are borne on spikes up to 90cm tall.
This strong-growing cultivar attains a height of nearly 2m.
13) D. ‘Blue Nile’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and blue
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
In this variety, that rises to about 1.5m, the semi-double flowers steal the show.
These are of a striking hue of blue ranging from an intense mid-blue to rich purplish blue, often with purple tinges and flushes.
These hues are intensified by the conspicuous snowy white eyes.
14) D. ‘Clifford Sky’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: White and blue
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
A very tall variety that levels out at about 2m has its height further emphasised by its erect habit and long floral spikes.
The 7cm semi-double flowers bloom during mid-summer.
They are of a soothing sky blue to lilac shade and sport white eyes.
15) D. ‘Galileo’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
This variety’s spikes are richly laden with semi-double blooms of a 7cm width, but most noticeably, they have a marvellous colour.
They are of a light but intense sky-blue freely tinged and flushed with light purple.
It is an early-flowering variety of mid-height at just shy of 2m.
16) D. ‘Bruce’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Purple and brown
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
‘Bruce’ grows to about 2m in height and sports particularly interesting foliage on account of its heavily lobed leaves that display a glossy sheen.
This cultivar’s racemes are big at just over 1m in length.
These bear rich purple flowers with the petals gradating from centre to edge to a slightly darker shade.
17) D. ‘Fenella’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
At only 1.5m tall, ‘Fenella’ is considered the short option where delphiniums are concerned.
Even so, the racemes are 90cm long and bear flowers with a brownish eye and of thrilling and unusual shades that range from deep indigo to deep bluish-purple.
18) D. ‘Michael Ayres’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue and purple
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
A special variety that has an upright habit but displays well-branched spikes, rising to just over 1.5m in height.
It blossoms in early summer, producing flowers of a rich, royal purple, centred with a dark eye.
The flowers are of a lighter shade towards the centre and have a glazed or matte finish.
19) D. ‘Purple Velvet’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Blue and purple
- HEIGHT: 1-1.5m
Recognised as especially floriferous, this branching variety produces 80cm spikes.
The semi-double blooms are 7-8cm wide.
Typically of a brilliant purple hue, flowers are near mauve at the centre but virtually violet at the distal ends.
A velvety sheen enhances their charms.
20) D. ‘Faust’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Purple and blue
- HEIGHT: 1.5-2.5m
Though it grows to only about 1.8m, this one is a dramatic choice for a specimen plant.
For one thing, the leaves are singularly dark and very divided.
As for the flowers, they are borne on stiffly erect racemes, and the blooms are of a rich, deep indigo-violet hue that verily holds the eye.
