Larkspur is a special flower for many July babies. There are many kinds of larkspurs, with one of the most common varieties being delphinium. Knowing the secret messages larkspur conveys is essential before giving one away.
Larkspur flowers often symbolize lightness, levity, fickleness, and haughtiness. Specific colors of larkspur hold particular meanings, like pink standing for fickleness and lightness. It may also stand for the openness of one’s heart and strong attachment.
Throughout history, flowers such as larkspur have been used to relay messages, as if they comprise a secret language. Discover the meaning and symbolism behind larkspur by reading through the sections below.
Meaning of Larkspur Flower
The definition of a larkspur flower can often be confusing. Often, it is a general flower name that encompasses members of the genera Delphinium and Consolida.
There has been a rising trend of treating Delphinium separately from Consolida. The members of the genus are called larkspur, while Delphinium flowers are called delphiniums.
However, since most of history had larkspur encompassing both genera, I will do the same in this article. Most Victorian language of flower references and history books treat them the same; thus, it may be more consistent for us to do the same.
Etymology of Larkspur
To fully decode the messages behind the larkspur flower, it’s crucial to begin with the word’s etymology. Larkspur was first used in 1578.
As the name implies, it was derived from a songbird called a lark. The flower and its petals look very similar to the bird, so it was named after it.
Etymology of Delphinium
Meanwhile, since many larkspurs are now known as delphiniums, it may also be worth understanding the meaning behind this term. Delphinium was first used in 1664, nearly a hundred years after larkspur.
It originates from the Greek word delphis, which means dolphin. The flower’s nectar or nectar-releasing organ looks like a dolphin, hence the name.
Difference Between Delphinium and Consolida
Although I’ll use larkspur in its historical meaning that includes the two genera, it is still essential to understand what distinguishes one from the other.
Primarily, delphiniums are perennial and poisonous flowering plants, while modern larkspurs or Consolida members are annual plants.
Perennials can survive longer than annuals. This is because only the top part dies during the winter, so the plant can regrow every spring. Thus, they can stay for a few years or more.
However, annuals cannot persist past one growing season. Thus, its whole life cycle occurs in one year only, ending during the winter.
Larkspur Flower Symbolisms
During the Victorian era, flowers were vital because they allowed givers and bearers to relay subtle messages. One of such essential blooms was larkspur.
While our preferred symbolisms of the present are emojis, there are still several instances where flowers are used as symbolisms. Knowing what they stand for may help avoid misunderstandings.
Thus, here are some symbolisms behind larkspur flowers:
- Lightness
- Levity
- Fickleness
- Haughtiness
- Open Heart
- Ardent attachment
- Transcend space and time
- Airy
- Big-hearted
- Fun
- Heavenly
- Hilarity
Larkspur Flowers Symbolize July
Larkspurs have been set as the birth flowers of July. They symbolize the month and the personalities of those born during this period.
For instance, if you’re a July baby, you will likely have a light, open, and charming personality. As you’ll notice in this article, lightness and openness are essential symbols behind the larkspur flowers.
Moreover, you’ll find it interesting to learn that larkspurs aren’t the only birth flowers for July. There are two July flowers, which are larkspurs and water lilies.
Larkspur Flowers Symbolize Open Heart
As you reveal or entrust someone with deep, personal feelings and sentiments, that may be called opening your heart. By opening your heart, you establish a significant level of trust between you and the person.
You are opening out your heart to them, figuratively. Thus, you are left vulnerable or exposed to them.
This phenomenon can be symbolized through larkspur flowers. Giving larkspurs to a person is a way to express that you are opening your heart and self to them.
Larkspur Flowers Symbolize Ardent Attachment
Ardent attachment means very strong or fervent linkages, especially that of love. This can include the deep connections we form with our passionate relationships, like first love.
The level of love and passion shared in ardent attachments are unique. Thus, if you don’t want to express your love through usual flowers like roses, you can use larkspurs instead.
Larkspurs Symbolize Lightness and Levity
Sometimes, life should not be taken too heavily or too seriously. If we do that every day in our life, we condemn ourselves to bear a heavy burden on our hearts and shoulders.
Thus, we should set aside moments when we let ourselves be free and light. That is, free of burdens like expectations, duties, and responsibilities.
In these moments, we allow ourselves levity and experience life in a happy-go-lucky way and enjoy it without restrictions. By enjoying life, you get to experience moments of hilarity and fun.
These moments may be symbolized by larkspurs, specifically pink ones. These flowers are known to represent lightness and levity.
Larkspurs Symbolize Fickleness
Fickleness is defined to be sudden and rapid changes. If you are a fickle person, you tend to have unstable decisions, often changing them without notice.
While a certain level of impulsiveness allows us to experience unique experiences and adventures, it can also be a detriment. Thus, personal fickleness can have its pros and cons.
Fickleness may also be present in romance, which is often not good. It can be frustrating for partners to be with someone unsure of their affection.
For these moments of instability, you may use larkspurs to convey a message. Pink larkspurs are primarily utilized to symbolize fickleness.
Larkspurs Symbolize Haughtiness
Haughtiness has a definition similar to condescension. You exhibit haughtiness when you do something because you believe you are superior to others.
More often than not, haughtiness will retaliate against you. A lot of people do not appreciate others lording over them, especially when it is because they are deemed inferior.
Thus, if you want to form and maintain healthy relationships, avoid being haughty. Do not presume you are above others at all moments.
Haughtiness is symbolized by purple larkspurs.
Larkspurs Are Used for Protection
Larkspur flowers are also known to confer protection against specific entities. Thus, larkspurs are believed to have powers related to health and protection.
They protect against ghosts, scorpions, and venomous creatures by driving them away.
The Consolida genus is specifically known to drive ghosts away. Meanwhile, Delphinium has powers to fend off scorpions and confer lightness and swiftness.
Larkspur Flowers and Color Meaning
Larkspur blossoms exist in a wide range of colors, from white to indigo.
However, the most popular ones are pink and purple. The two are even the earliest to have their own meanings, as evident by most old books on the language of flowers.
- Pink. Pink larkspurs are symbols of fickleness or the rapid and sudden changing of minds. They may also symbolize lightness.
- Purple. Purple larkspurs are symbols of haughtiness. You exhibit haughtiness when you act out of feeling superiority over others.
- White. White larkspurs are symbols of a happy-go-lucky nature, joy, purity, and innocence.
- Indigo. Indigo larkspurs are symbols of first love.
- Blue. Blue larkspurs symbolize respect, grace, trust, and support.
Larkspur Flower FAQs
The flower name “larkspur” was derived from the flower’s similarity to a lark, a brown-colored songbird. Larkspur was first used in the 1570s.
However, the word “lark” (referring to the bird) was used as early as the 12th century.
Traditionally, larkspur refers to genera: Consolida and Delphinium. Nowadays, though, larkspur refers to the Consolida genus only or the annual larkspur.
Members of the Delphinium are now known as delphiniums. However, they were traditionally known as larkspurs, little larkspurs, low larkspurs, and montane larkspurs.
The two genera differ by the duration of their life cycles. Members of Consolida are annual and thus last only for a year, whereas delphiniums can survive winter and regrow every spring.
One of the July birth flowers is the larkspur. It symbolizes lightness, fickleness, haughtiness, open heart, and ardent attachment.
Certain colors of the larkspur flower may symbolize specific ideas. For instance, pink larkspurs traditionally signify fickleness and lightness.
The other July birth flower is the water lily, belonging to the genus Nymphaeaceae. Water lilies symbolize rebirth, consisting of birth and death.
Other water lily symbolisms include eloquence, harmony, life, modesty, purity, soothing, and the sun. The last symbolism (sun) may be because of the Egyptian legend wherein the Sun God was born out of a water lily.
Final Thoughts
Larkspurs are July birth flowers named so because they look similar to larks. They traditionally refer to both perennial and annual flowers, although modern definitions now limit larkspurs to the genus of annual flowers (Consolida).
Their symbolisms are primarily positive, such as ardent affection, lightness, levity, open heart, and protection. However, larkspurs also have a few less positive connotations. These include fickleness and haughtiness.
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