[3] D. tricorne is a perennial plant that grows to a height of 15–45 centimetres (6–18 in), with a thin flowering stalk rising from a group of basal leaves.

[4] The inflorescence is a raceme at the end of the stalk consisting of 6 to 24 flowers that are violet, blue, white, or a mixture of these colors.

[6] The genus name, Delphinium, comes from the Greek word for "dolphin", and may refer to the shape of the flowers.

[5] D. tricorne is native in the United States from Nebraska to the west, Pennsylvania to the east, Alabama and Mississippi to the south, and Minnesota to the north.

[7] The plant is pollinated by bumblebees and hummingbirds, and several other species of bees visit the flowers for nectar and pollen.