Delphinium requienii - Dauphinelle de Requien, Pied-d’alouette de Requien

The Delphinium requienii, or Requien's larkspur, stands out from the tall garden delphiniums with its palmate, thick and glossy leaves, and its clusters of grey-softened violet-blue flowers adorned with a purple heart. The stems and flowers are covered in a fine down that accentuates their singular appearance. This Mediterranean species, annual or biennial, self-seeds spontaneously. Depending on the climate, it will flower in spring or summer. It is a beautiful wild plant for natural borders, large rockeries and Mediterranean gardens.

This herbaceous plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. Long classified among the delphiniums and larkspurs, it now bears the botanical name Staphisagria requienii. The Staphisagria form a small group distinct from the true Delphinium. The name Delphinium requienii, however, remains commonly used in horticulture. This wild species is native to the Hyères Islands, Corsica and Sardinia. There, it grows in coastal lawns, on limestone rocks and sea cliffs, but also in clearings, cool valleys and disturbed ground. Its wild French populations are protected. 
It is a Mediterranean annual, which can behave as a biennial in certain climates. In regions with mild winters, its seeds germinate with the return of autumn rains. The plant develops its rosette during the cool season, flowers in May-June, then produces its seeds before dying back. Under an oceanic or more northerly climate, its cycle is delayed: flowering is later and takes place from June to August. This plant escapes Mediterranean drought by completing most of its cycle before summer, in the manner of love-in-a-mist and borage. It first forms a rosette of large, dark green, thick, glossy and palmate leaves, cut into broad lobes. In parallel, it develops a taproot that sinks into the soil. From the rosette rise several erect, branched stems, robust at the base, reaching 80 cm to 1.20 m in height.  The plant occupies 40 to 50 cm in spread. The long, fairly loose clusters are hairy, as are the pedicels and the outside of the flowers. These, more open than those of hybrid delphiniums, have five petals whose colour ranges from greyed lilac to violet-blue. The upper petal ends in a short spur, while the stamens form a dark purple centre. After flowering, dry fruits appear containing the seeds that will ensure the plant's renewal. The species name of this delphinium pays tribute to the Avignon naturalist Esprit Requien.

This botanical larkspur is one of the few true "larkspurs" genuinely suited to Mediterranean gardens. It brings the tall, characteristic spikes of the group to areas where the large perennial delphiniums of English gardens are completely unsuited. With a more natural appearance, it thrives in a sunny border, a large rockery or a scree garden. It can be paired with toadflax 'Canon J Went', clary sage and giant fennel, Ferula communis. These plants appreciate well-drained soil and can self-seed freely in light, bare ground.