Delphiniums are perennials in the buttercup family that can best be described as "stately" or "majestic," producing large spikes of showy flowers from June to September. Modern cultivars, often called candle delphiniums, are derived mostly from the Eurasian Delphinium elatum. The Magic Fountains series comes in varying shades of blue, lavender, or white, with semidouble flowers that open wide, exposing the cluster of small petals in the center that are called the "bee." This cultivar produces tightly packed, dark blue flowers with a bee that is almost black. It will reach about 30 inches in height, prefers full sun or light shade, and needs well-drained soil that is not allowed to dry out. Cultivated delphiniums require regular fertilizing and dead-heading, and even with "TLC" tend to be short-lived. The word delphinium means "little dolphin," alluding to the shape of the flowers of the wild species. Wild delphiniums are also called larkspurs.