Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson CLVIII · Topic 24: Summer and fall garden flowers
158. The bee-larkspur
Goal: Your child discovers that the larkspur's color comes from its sepals, finds the petals that guard the nectar, and watches a bumblebee get dusted.
You'll need
- Nature notebook, pencil and colored pencils
- A hand lens (magnifying glass)
- A flower stalk of tall garden larkspur (delphinium)
- Garden gloves
What's in the book
A Teacher's Story with drawings of the flower in its stages, and the lesson: Leading thought, Method and nine questions, the last one for observation in the garden.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
The tall garden larkspur (delphinium) blooms from early summer, and Comstock says the stalk keeps adding new buds at its tip until late in autumn. Safety: larkspurs are poisonous, especially the seeds. Use gloves or wash hands after, and keep seeds away from small children. Bees will be busy on these flowers: watch quietly from a little distance and don't swat.
The leading thought
The bee-larkspur begins blossoming early in the season, the blossom stalk elongating and developing new buds at its tip until late in autumn. The flower has a very interesting way of making the bees carry its pollen.
Up the stalk
Which flowers of the larkspur open first—those near the tip of the stem or those below?
Examine the buds toward the tip of the flower stalk. What color are the sepals in these buds? Do the sepals change color as the flower opens?
Sepals that look like petals
Where is the nectar-spur? Which sepal forms this?
Look straight into the flower, and note what forms the contrasting color of the heart of the flower; these are the petals.
The fuzzy center is what gives the “bee” larkspur its name: it looks like a little bee sitting in the flower.
Young flower, old flower
Compare a flower near the top (new) with one near the bottom (old).
Take the oldest flower you can find. What has happened to the anthers? Can you see the pistils in this? In what position now are the stigmas?
In the garden
Watch a bumblebee working on the larkspur and answer the following questions: How does she hold on to the flower? Where does she thrust her tongue?
Nature notebook
Draw the flower stalk with buds at the top and older flowers lower down. Write, as Comstock suggests, a short account of a bumblebee making morning calls on the larkspurs.