A Scarlet Larkspur’s constantly evolving lifecycle is an intriguing sight. With their sharply defined lobes, its basal leaves have what are arguably the most interesting morphology of any California native plant. These leaves have all but vanished by the time the tall, slender stalk of crimson, “dolphin”-shaped flowers begins to blossom. The entire plant completely disappears in the summer after flowering, dying back to a woody corm under ground, from which it will re-sprout after the first few storms of the rainy season. Plant Scarlet Delphinium in part sun, leaving the seed pods to open and deshisce after flowering. Over time, you’ll have a little colony of plants that will come back taller and more floriferous each year, attracting squadrons of hummingbirds.