Lobelia cardinalis
Growing Information
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun to part shade
• Soils: Rich medium-wet soil
• Bloom Time: Red flowers in late summer/early fall
• Size: 24-36 inches tall; 8-12 inch spread
Lobelia cardinalis is an eye-catching plant with bright red, bell-shaped flowers. They love to grow close to water and are good for rain gardens or plantings with wet soil. They are also unappealing to deer and rabbits as the plant contains toxins. The Cherokee used the leaves medicinally to help treat headaches, colds, and fevers. Individual plants are short-lived, but in the right place, cardinal flower will self-seed and send out offshoots to colonize an area.
Garden Companions
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia Siphilitica), Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), Rose/Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Nature Benefits
• Attracts pollinators, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
Natural Habitat
Naturally found around swamps, along stream shores, and in marshes