July Birth Flower : Larkspur

If you are a July baby your birth flowers are the water lily and the larkspur. One emerges from deep beneath the water’s surface; the other grows as a single tall stalk from the ground. Both provide a pop of colour during the early to midsummer months!

Larkspurs are a symbol of positivity and dedication. They make a great addition to any garden, given their height and beautiful purple-blue blooms, but beware: these plants are poisonous!

The water lily represents purity and innocence while boosting aquatic ecosystems and serving as an inspiration for one of the world’s great painters.

This post is about the larkspur

The larkspur is a member of the buttercup family and is native to parts of the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe. It grows wild in the United States and Europe and has become naturalized in gardens all over the world.

Each larkspur colour holds a different meaning. Blue, which is hard to find in the world of flowers, means dignity and grace; pink symbolizes fickleness; white represents happiness and joy; and purple is a sign of first love.

Larkspurs are believed to have gotten their name from their resemblance to the claw of the meadowlark. It has also been referred to as Lark’s Claw, Knight’s Spur, and Lark’s Heel.

Fully grown, the larkspur can grow 1 to 3 feet tall. The flowers, which bloom in early summer before the heat sets in, grow in groups along a single stalk. Each flower has five petals and a spur in the centre. Blooms come in single and double varieties.

The plant is ideal for cottage and wildflower gardens and will attract pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. Given its height, it’s a great cut flower for floral arrangements.

While it is beautiful and a welcome addition to any garden, the larkspur is highly poisonous to humans and animals if ingested.

Larkspur in History

• According to Greek mythology, the larkspur grew from the blood of Ajax during the Battle of Troy. Upset that he did not receive the armour of the fallen warrior Achilles, Ajax threw himself on his sword, causing his blood to spill onto the ground and the flowers to bloom.
• Other theories surrounding its initial appearance involve a slayed dragon and the mixture of its blue blood and venom, as well as crumbs from the blue sky falling to the ground.
• In England, people once sprinkled larkspur in baths for protection against ghosts and magic.
• In Transylvania, if larkspur was planted near stables, it was believed to keep witches away.
• In ancient Greece, larkspurs were used to treat open wounds.
• The Victorian era led to the belief that the larkspur could ward off evil.
• Once it was naturalized in the U.S., Native Americans used the blooms to make dyes and repel insects.
• The Larkspur is one of the few flowers mentioned in George Washington’s letters.

I hope you enjoyed this post. One about the month of July other birth flower water lily will follow shortly. 

You may now like to read this post 'Some Foods In Season During July' which also has some recipe suggestions - see here

All the best Jan