Home/Species/ Nuttall's Larkspur

Delphinium nuttallii

Gray

Nuttall's Larkspur

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G2ImperiledGlobal Rank

HighThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.802711

Element CodePDRAN0B2K0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderRanunculales

FamilyRanunculaceae

GenusDelphinium

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Taxonomic Comments

Kartesz (1999) includes Delphinium leucophaeum in Delphinium nuttallii as Delphinium nuttallii ssp. ochroleucum. Kartesz (1994) considered Delphinium nuttallii and Delphinium leucophaeum to be distinct species. Note that this species is different from Delphinium nuttallianum, despite similarity of names.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-08-30

Change Date1996-01-24

Edition Date2025-03-28

Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2025)

Threat ImpactHigh

Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Delphinium nuttallii is a perennial herb native to western Oregon and Washington, USA, from southern Puget Sound to the southern Willamette Valley. With a small range extent, moderate number of occurrences, high threats, and a long-term decline in prairie habitat within its range, this species is imperilled.

Range Extent Comments

Delphinium nuttallii occurs in western Oregon and Washington, USA, from southern Puget Sound to the southern Willamette Valley. Range extent was estimated to be 30,200 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025, CPNWH 2025).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, there are estimated to be 60 occurrences rangewide. If Delphinium nuttallii ssp. ochroleucum records are excluded, there are only 47 occurrences (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025, CPNWH 2025).

Threat Impact Comments

Delphinium nuttallii grows in open prairie habitats that face many threats. Historically, residential and commercial development and conversion to agricultural fields have been major threats but many prairie remnants are now protected. Both protected and unprotected prairies are threatened by encroachment of native woody plants due to a lack of fire and by invasive plants (Stanley et al. 2011, Fertig, pers. comm., 2025). Some occurrences are found near roadways and may be impacted by road maintenance or herbicide application, but the clearing of woody vegetation within the road rights-of-way may benefit this species.(NatureServe 2025).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is found in rocky meadows, prairies, low moist ground, and basalt cliffs (Wildflower Center 2020, Hitchcock and Cronquist 1974).

Terrestrial Habitats

Grassland/herbaceous

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN2

Province	Rank	Native
Washington	SNR	Yes
Oregon	SNR	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Restricted (11-30%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
4 - Transportation & service corridors	Small (1-10%)	Neutral or Potential Benefit	High (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroads	Small (1-10%)	Neutral or Potential Benefit	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensity	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Washington (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Silver Star	Gifford Pinchot National Forest	7,779

References (9)

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria (CPNWH). 2025. Online database of vascular plant specimens from the Pacific Northwest. Online. Available: http://www.pnwherbaria.org/index.php (accessed 2025).
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
Hitchcock, C.L., and A. Cronquist. 1974. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An illustrated manual. 2nd printing, with corrections. Univ. Washington Press, Seattle. xix + 730 pp.
iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
Wildflower Center. 2020. Native Plant Database: <i>Delphinium nuttallii.</i> Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Austin. Accessed: September 14, 2022. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DENU3

Delphinium nuttallii

Habitat

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