Taxon Report

Delphinium hesperium Gray ssp. cuyamacae (Abrams) Lewis & Epl.

Cuyamaca larkspur

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae, commonly known as Cuyamaca larkspur, is a perennial herb in the Ranunculaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps, and Vernal pools, growing at elevations from 1220 to 1631 meters. Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Delphinium hesperium Gray ssp. cuyamacae (Abrams) Lewis & Epl.
Common Name:	Cuyamaca larkspur
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Element Code:	PDRAN0B0U1
USDA Plants Symbol:	DEHEC
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul	May-Jul
Elevation:	1220-1631 (4005-5350)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps, Vernal pools
Microhabitat:	Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G4T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CR
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	29
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	4
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	19

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV), San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Anza (3311656), Boucher Hill (3311638), Cahuilla Mtn. (3311657), Cuyamaca Peak (3211685), Julian (3311615), Monument Peak (3211684), Mount Laguna (3211674), Palomar Observatory (3311637), Santa Ysabel (3311616)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	11	38 %
Recreational use (non-ORV)	5	17%
Development	3	10%
Grazing	3	10%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	6%
Other	2	6%
Logging	1	3%
ORV activity	1	3%

Notes



Threatened by development, grazing, and recreational activities.. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32:538 (1905) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 18 December 2025].