Delphinium consolida 'Fancy Belladonna'

Delphinium consolida 'Fancy Belladonna' is an annual Larkspur with a long-lasting flowering period reminiscent of Delphinium belladonna. The structure of the flower spike is quite loose and the flowering is sparse. This gives it a beautiful lightness. The clusters of single flowers are lilac in colour, with darker streaks and a white centre. Annual delphiniums bloom generously and for a long time, creating elegant bouquets of fresh or dried flowers that are very durable. Direct sowing in rich and moist soil.

Delphinium consolida 'Fancy Belladonna' is one of the many hybrids obtained by cross-breeding D. consolida, an annual plant with preferential winter germination that grows in cereal crops on limestone soil. It is a hardy annual plant with rapid growth, forming a wide clump of 34 to 40cm (13 to 16in), with deeply divided palmate foliage of a tender green colour, from which floral spikes of at least 80cm (32in) in height emerge in summer. Flowering takes place from June to September and is highly visited by pollinating insects. The cup-shaped flowers, arranged on tall upright spikes, display a wide range of colours. The plant develops from a woody rhizome that sinks vertically into the ground.

'Fancy Belladonna' reaches a height of 1.20m (4ft) when in bloom. Erect and branched, the plant forms a basal tuft of palmate leaves divided into linear leaflets of medium green colour. Loose spikes of single flowers, spurred, lilac pink with a white centre, succeed each other throughout the summer.

Delphiniums prefer cool and rich soils, but they also do not want to keep their feet in heavy and waterlogged soil. They are not afraid of harsh winters and enjoy having their heads in the sun. 'Fancy Belladonna' quickly creates a theatrical, yet elegant, display when sown directly in the ground, in flower beds or borders. It provides a profusion of tall spikes, offers little resistance to the wind, and can lean on neighbouring plants. Its stems are less likely to break, as its clusters are not too heavy and are quite flexible. Its structure makes it a lightweight Delphinium, ideal with shrubby plants like roses or peonies. Also consider grasses and other vertical plants like foxgloves or lupins. It is well-suited for creating bouquets, as its flowers are particularly long-lasting in a vase and can even be dried. To do so, cut fully bloomed flowers into small bouquets, hang the stems upside down, store them away from the sun in a dry and well-ventilated area.