Garden delphinium hybrids

These cultivated herbaceous perennials are grown for upright flower spikes that rise above clumps of deeply divided, long-stalked leaves. Their flowers may be single or double and come in shades of blue, purple, pink and white, often with contrasting central petals known as the bee. The hollow stems can bend or break in strong wind. Flowering usually begins in early summer, and some plants produce a second flush later in the season. These cultivated forms are used in borders and as cut flowers. Delphiniums contain alkaloids and are toxic if eaten. Photographed in Florida.