PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS 



Our next choice among hardy perennials would 

 be the Delphiniums, or Larkspurs. There are a 

 number of species, and a large number of varieties 

 of hybrid sorts. D. grandiflorum, called also D. 

 Chinense, and D. Sinense, grows to a height of 

 two or three feet with flowers of a deep blue. 

 Z). Cashmerianum is said to grow from fifteen 

 inches to two feet in height, but I have plants 

 which reach to quite three feet. The flower is 

 large, and of a charming shade of azure blue. 

 D. elatum, the Bee Larkspur, is the tallest mem- 

 ber of the family, and six feet is given as its 

 maximum, but one of our plants on the terrace 

 annually reaches a height of over ten feet. Z). 

 formosum, a variety of which is called D. cheilan- 

 thum, grows from three to five feet high, bearing 

 rich dark blue flowers, tinged with purple with a 

 white eye. There is a species from California, 

 known as D. nudicaule, which grows to a height 

 of from two to four feet, with scarlet or yellow 

 flowers. D. elatius is a tall variety of Z). nudicaule, 

 and there is apparently not enough difference 

 between the latter and D. cardindle to justify the 

 creation of a new species. So, too, D. Zalil is 

 probably the yellow variety of D. nudicaule, 

 though on these points there is much confusion. 



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