Larkspur Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora'

☠ Toxic to humans

🐾 Toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Hard-care

ABOUT

Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora' is a striking perennial that is well-known for its majestic spires of flowers. The most captivating feature of this plant is its colorful blooms that come in a stunning mix of blues and purples, often accented with a touch of pink or white. Each flower is made up of several individual petals that are arranged in an intricate, almost geometric pattern radiating out from the center. The plant's flowers are carried on strong, upright stems that rise above the foliage, creating an eye-catching display that stands out in the garden. The leaves of Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora' are deeply lobed and have a somewhat ferny appearance, lush and green, which forms an attractive base for the tall flowering stalks. The overall impression is one of dramatic beauty and elegance, often used as a focal point in garden designs or as a backdrop for lower-growing plants.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Synonyms
  Larkspur, Langdon's Pandora Delphinium.
- Common names
  Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora'.
Toxicity
- To humans
  Larkspur, including the Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora' cultivar, is poisonous to humans. Ingesting any part of the plant can lead to significant toxicity. Symptoms of larkspur poisoning may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis. In severe cases, it can cause respiratory failure and even death. It is critical to seek immediate medical attention if ingestion occurs.
- To pets
  Larkspur is also toxic to pets. If animals ingest any part of the plant, they could exhibit symptoms such as drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular weakness, and seizures. In severe cases, ingestion can result in paralysis and respiratory failure, which can be fatal. Immediate veterinary care is essential if a pet has consumed any part of a larkspur plant.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Varies
- Height
  5 feet (152 cm)
- Spread
  2 feet (61 cm)
- Plant type
  Herb
- Hardiness zones
  3
- Native area
  Europe

Benefits

General Benefits
- Aesthetic Appeal: Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora' adds height and vibrant color to gardens with its tall spikes of purple-blue flowers, creating visual interest.
- Attracts Pollinators: Its nectar-rich blooms are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, supporting local ecosystems.
- Seasonal Interest: This perennial offers seasonal color in the garden with its flowering typically in the late spring to early summer.
- Cutting Garden Plant: The flowers make excellent cut flowers for bouquets and arrangements, adding beauty both indoors and out.
- Vertical Accent: This plant can serve as a vertical accent in garden beds or borders, offering structural diversity in planting designs.
- Back of Border Planting: Due to its height, it works well at the back of a border, providing a backdrop for smaller plants.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Photography Prop: Delphiniums, with their striking blue flowers, can be used as a natural backdrop for portrait photography, creating a vibrant and dynamic setting.
- Textile Dye: The blossoms of the delphinium may be used to extract a natural dye for coloring fabrics and yarns.
- Garden Design: Delphinium can serve as a "thriller" plant in container gardening, providing height and color contrast.
- Culinary Decoration: While not edible, delphinium blossoms can be used to adorn cakes or platters for decorative purposes at special events.
- Educational Tool: These plants can be used in educational settings to demonstrate plant growth, pollination, and the lifecycle of perennials.
- Artistic Inspiration: Artists may use delphiniums as subjects for paintings, sketches, or botanical illustration due to their intricate structures.
- Biodegradable Confetti: Dried delphinium petals can be used as natural, biodegradable confetti for celebrations.
- Book Pressing: The flowers can be pressed and preserved in books, serving as a method for creating botanical art or keepsakes.
- Creative Crafts: The stems and flowers can be incorporated into homemade wreaths, garlands, or other decorative crafts.
- Scented Sachets: Dried delphinium flowers can be included in scented sachets to impart a gentle fragrance to drawers and closets.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Larkspur is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Larkspur is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Positivity and Encouragement: Delphiniums, in general, symbolize positive feelings and encouragement, offering hope and support to those who receive them.
- Protection: Delphiniums are also associated with protection. The name 'Delphinium' is derived from the Greek word 'delphis,' meaning dolphin, and is thought to protect against all kinds of dangers.
- Open-heartedness: With their wide, open flowers, delphiniums represent being open-hearted and welcoming, a symbol of inviting positive interactions and relationships.
- Arbitrary success and big-heartedness: Delphinium flowers are often given to represent success reached through hard work and dedication, as well as demonstrating a generous spirit or big-hearted nature.
- Celebration: Their bright and bold colors can symbolize celebration and joy, making them perfect for festive occasions.

💧

Every week

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every year

Repotting

🌱️

Spring to Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Larkspur, the common name for Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora', requires consistent moisture but does not tolerate standing water. To water effectively, apply water directly to the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry and reduce the risk of disease. During the growing season, water the larkspur deeply once a week with approximately one to two gallons of water, ensuring that the soil is moist but not saturated. During periods of high heat or drought, you may need to water twice a week. Always check the top inch of soil for dryness before watering to avoid overwatering
Light
Larkspur, the common name for Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora', thrives in full sun to part shade. For best growth and flower production, place it in an area where it receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. If you live in a region with intense midday sun, provide some afternoon shade to prevent stress on the plant
Temperature
Larkspur, the common name for Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora', prefers cooler temperatures with the ideal range being between 60 and 75 Fahrenheit. It can tolerate minimum temperatures down to about 50 Fahrenheit but is sensitive to heat above 85 Fahrenheit. Avoid placing your larkspur in locations that experience extreme heat for best growth and bloom production
Pruning
Larkspur, or Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora', benefits from pruning to maintain its shape, encourage bushier growth, and improve air circulation. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote continuous blooming throughout the season. After the initial flush of flowers, you can cut back the flower stalks to the ground to encourage a second, though less vigorous, bloom period. The best time for major pruning is in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Larkspur requires a well-draining soil mix with a pH between 6.0 to 7.5. A good mix could consist of equal parts loam, compost, and sand or perlite to ensure good drainage and fertility.
Repotting
Larkspurs do not generally require frequent repotting as they are typically grown as annuals. If grown as perennials, repotting every 2-3 years may be sufficient.
Humidity & Misting
Larkspur prefers moderate humidity and does not require any special humidity considerations as long as typical outdoor conditions are met.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Provide Larkspur with bright light and cool temperatures.
- Outdoor
  Plant in full sun, in well-draining soil, and shelter from strong winds.
- Hardiness zone
  3-7 USDA
Life cycle
The Larkspur 'Langdon's Pandora' begins its life cycle with seed germination, which typically occurs in spring when the soil has warmed. The seedlings rapidly develop true leaves and a root system. As the plant matures, it enters the vegetative stage, growing tall flower spikes adorned with distinctive purple or blue flowers that bloom in early to mid-summer. After pollination, often by bees, the flowers produce small black seeds by late summer or early fall. These seeds can be dispersed by wind or fall to the ground to enter a period of dormancy until the next spring. The plant is a perennial, so after the blooming period the aerial parts may die back, but the plant will re-sprout from its root system for the next growing season.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring to Summer
- Delphinium 'Langdon's Pandora', commonly known as Larkspur, can be most effectively propagated through seed sowing. The most popular method for propagating Larkspur involves planting the seeds directly into the ground where they are to grow. This is typically done in early spring when the soil can be worked and the risk of a hard frost has passed. The seeds should be scattered onto well-drained soil and covered lightly with about an eighth of an inch (3 mm) of soil, as they require darkness to germinate. Keeping the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged is crucial for successful germination. Germination should occur within 2 to 3 weeks if the temperatures remain around 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (13 to 16 degrees Celsius). Seedlings must be thinned out to prevent overcrowding, ensuring robust growth and development of the plants.