University of California, Davis Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center

Produce Facts

Delphinium
Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality

Michael S. Reid
Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Description Delphinium, Consolida spp. The tall spikes of delphinium and the smaller spikes of larkspur
are important accent flowers, with colors ranging from white through pink, purple and blue.

Quality Indices Delphiniums and larkspur are normally harvested with one to two open flowers on the spike.
Avoid flowers with mildew-infected leaves. At least one to two flowers per stem should be
fully opened at the time of purchase with no sign of flower fall. Make sure stems are rinsed
prior to re-cutting and arranging, so as to remove dirt and debris.

Grading and Bunching There are no formal grade standards for larkspur and delphinium. Flower number per spike,
stem length, stem straightness, and foliage quality are important quality attributes in these
flowers. Larkspurs are normally bunched by size with an average of 10 stems per bunch.

Ethylene Sensitivity Delphiniums are very sensitive to ethylene, which causes rapid loss of all the flowers on the
spike.

Pretreatments Flower spikes should be pretreated with 1-MCP or STS to extend their vase life and protect
them from exposure to ethylene. Because flowers are on spikes and are therefore at differ-
ent maturity stages at the time of anti-ethylene treatment, STS may be a more effective anti-
ethylene treatment than 1-MCP.

Storage Conditions Delphinium and larkspur should be stored at 0-1ºC. For longer term storage, they should be
wrapped in perforated polyethylene to reduce water loss.

Packing These flowers are often packed in hampers with or without water, but may also be packed in
standard horizontal boxes. They are somewhat sensitive to gravity, so horizontally-packed
flowers should be pre-cooled and maintained at proper holding temperatures.

Special Considerations Flowers called larkspur or delphinium often are named incorrectly.

Published October 2004 Delphinium