Delphinium consolida QIS Dark Blue - Larkspur seeds

Growing Delphinium Imperial QIS® Dark Blue from seed means you can grow this annual variety of larkspur at low cost. it is prized for its elegant spikes of double flowers in an intense blue with purplish highlights. With an upright and slender habit, this plant forms robust flowering stems, topped with dense clusters that add height and structure to borders. It prefers a sunny to partially shaded position and a light, rich, well-drained soil. Highly valued as a cut flower, for making beautiful fresh or dried bouquets, it can be used at the back of borders or in generous containers. It requires discreet staking to support its stems in strong winds.

Delphinium Imperial QIS® Dark Blue is an annual cultivar from the Ranunculaceae family, belonging to the genus Consolida often considered synonymous with Delphinium in horticultural classification. Its full botanical name is now Consolida ajacis, although synonyms such as Delphinium consolida or Consolida ambigua are also used. Originating from the Mediterranean basin, particularly southern Europe and western Asia, this species grows naturally in open prairies and grassy areas, where it thrives in well-drained and sunny soils. The QIS® Dark Blue cultivar was selected for its exceptional qualities as a cut flower, offering remarkable uniformity, intense colour, and robust stems. It has an upright habit, reaching a height of 80 to 100 cm, with sturdy stems bearing dense floral spikes 25 to 30 cm long in the year of sowing. The deep indigo blue flowers are mostly double, with a small percentage being single, and measure about 2 to 3 cm in diameter. Flowering extends from May to September. The medium green leaves are finely divided and the stems are smooth and sturdy. The root system is a taproot, which makes the plant sensitive to disturbance during transplanting.

Delphinium Imperial QIS® Dark Blue, or Annual Field Larkspur, is easy to grow even in chalky soil; it can be sown directly in the ground, in borders or edgings, in the sun, in rich and moist soil. In a summer meadow composition, 'Dark Blue' raises its deep blue spikes like leading shoots. It can be surrounded by Ammi visnaga, with its light and airy umbels, or by Linum perenne 'Sapphire', whose small bluish corollas create a subtle contrast between cool tones. A few notes of scabious 'Black Knight' or yarrow 'Terracotta' discreetly warm the whole and bring a natural rhythm. This variety is also excellent for bouquets, thanks to the vase longevity of its cut flowers which can even be dried. To prepare for drying, cut the open flowers into small bouquets, hang the stems upside down and keep them in a dry, well-ventilated place out of the sun.