PLANT of the MONTH   ~~   JULY 2008
updated on or about the 1st of each month

SCARLET LARKSPUR Common Name(s): Scarlet Larkspur, Lady's Slipper Scientific Name: Delphinium cardinale Family: Ranunculaceae, Buttercup family Plant Type: Perennial herb Size: up to 6 feet high Common Habitat: chaparral and sage scrub along dry open slopes, away from immediate coast

With the hills turning browner as summer firmly establishes itself, it is nice to find the bright red flowers of Scarlet Larkspur. Blooming from May to July, the "spur" is a giveaway for identifying this plant. About one-to-two-inches long, the spur is actually one of its 5 sepals. Petals are mostly red, with 2 having yellow-tinges. Multiple flowers with stems about 2 inches long appear on this tall plant. Both basal leaves and alternating leaves appear along the stem, but by the time of blooming, they have withered and are not noticeable.

This plant's scientific names describe its shape and color - Delphinium for dolphin and cardinale for red. As may be guessed, hummingbirds are the primary pollinators. You may have also seen the much shorter Blue Larkspur, Delphinium parryi, in our mountains. The roots of both larkspurs are poisonous - native people would use the plant to drug their opponents, and it is also known to poison cattle. Of more beneficial use, the flowers were used to make a remedy for head lice, scabies and similar ailments.

Contributed by Liz Baumann

ARCHIVES of past Plants of the Month:
June 2008: Fringed Indian Pink (Silene laciniata)
May 2008: Mariposa Lily (Calochortus species)
April 2008: Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
March 2008: Shooting Star (Dodecatheon clevelandii)
February 2008: Eucrypta (Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia)
January 2008: Manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Arctostaphylos glauca)
December 2007: Fire's Impact on Plants of the Santa Monicas - Volume 1
November 2007: California Aster (Lessingia filaginifolia, Corethrogyne filaginifolia)
October 2007: Turkey Mullein (Eremocarpus setigerus)
September 2007: Wild Heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
August 2007: California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
July 2007: Calabazilla (Cucurbita foetidissima)
June 2007: Speckled Clarkia (Clarkia cylindrica)
May 2007: Prickly Poppy (Argemone munita)
April 2007: Wild Cucumber (Marah macrocarpus)
March 2007: Large-Flowered Phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora)
February 2007: Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum)
January 2007: Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)
December 2006: Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
November 2006: Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
October 2006: Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium)
September 2006: Vinegar Weed (Trichostema Lanceolatum)
August 2006: Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia)
July 2006: Woolly Blue Curls (Trichostema lanatum)
June 2006: Yucca (Yucca whipplei)
May 2006: Monkey Flower (Mimulus Species)
April 2006: Lupine (Lupinus Species)
March 2006: Ceanothus (Ceanothus Species)
February 2006: Wild Peony (Paeonia californica)
January 2006: Purple Nightshade (Solanum xanti)
December 2005: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

REFERENCES:
Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains, by Milt McAuley - link to Amazon.com
Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California, by Nancy Dale - link to Amazon.com
Roadside Plants of Southern California, by Thomas J. Belzer - link to Amazon.com
California Native Plants for the Garden, by Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien - link to Amazon.com
California Herbal Remedies, by LoLo Westrich - link to Amazon.com