Born July 24, 1970, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez was born during the month of the delphinium flower-a flower that signifies boldness, an open heart, and ardent attachment. Though those attributes may all be seen as very positive, the delphinium is also featured in a classic legend of great woe.



The name delphinium comes from the Greek and means "little dolphin." The name was chosen because the shape of the blossom is reminiscent of the nose of a dolphin. It is also sometimes called a larkspur, because its spur is shaped like the claw of a lark. Evidence of the delphinium's existence dates back to the beginning of the fifteenth century. It is part of a family of flowers, which also includes the buttercup and aconitum, that contains over 350 species.

A Greek legend tells the tale of the death of Ajax and the growth of blue delphiniums form his spilled blood. In the tale, the mother of the famous warrior Achilles stated that the armor of her slain son should be presented to the bravest warrior to have fought in the battle of Troy. The young warrior Ajax was certain the armor should be his, but it was instead gifted to Ulysses. Upon hearing of his declination for the armor, Ajax was distraught and threw himself upon his sword. Where his drops of blood hit the earth, small blue delphiniums are said to have sprung up. To this day, it is said, the petals of the delphinium bear the Greek letters Al, the mourning cry of the Greek.

Over the years, delphiniums have been crossbred to include a wide variety of colors such as the original blue, purple, mauve, and white. In fact, it has been so widely bred that its history is almost lost in the abundance of its breeders. One of the most notable delphinium breeders was Frank Reinelt, a Czech who immigrated to California where he began his work with delphiniums in the early 20th century. Reinelt was an expert with flowers having once been the head gardener for Queen Marie of Romania. He worked for forty years on the hybridization of the delphinium, creating the now famous Pacific Giant hybrids.

The delphinium occurs in both annual and perennial varieties. They are a flower known throughout the world. In the U.S. they are most commonly used as border flowers in lavish garden beds. In Afghanistan the yellow dye produced from the flower is used to color silks and wools.

Bold, beautiful, ardently attached, and at times tragic. These are the words associated with the delphinium. It is a flower with a long history and a great following. Will Ms. Lopez live up to her birth flower? Time will tell.