Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower
Producing brilliantly colored flowers that attract hummingbirds, cardinal flower is a plant of exception merit—if you have the right spot. This species is easy to grow, but each individual plant is short lived. Plants persist over the years by reseeding—if seeds make contact with bare ground, new plants will germinate and grow. Cardinal flower prefers moist soils and is great naturalizing along a stream bank or in wet meadows.
LOCAL ECOTYPE
Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower
Producing brilliantly colored flowers that attract hummingbirds, cardinal flower is a plant of exception merit—if you have the right spot. This species is easy to grow, but each individual plant is short lived. Plants persist over the years by reseeding—if seeds make contact with bare ground, new plants will germinate and grow. Cardinal flower prefers moist soils and is great naturalizing along a stream bank or in wet meadows.
LOCAL ECOTYPE
Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower
Producing brilliantly colored flowers that attract hummingbirds, cardinal flower is a plant of exception merit—if you have the right spot. This species is easy to grow, but each individual plant is short lived. Plants persist over the years by reseeding—if seeds make contact with bare ground, new plants will germinate and grow. Cardinal flower prefers moist soils and is great naturalizing along a stream bank or in wet meadows.
LOCAL ECOTYPE
HABIT
Height: 3-4’
Bloom Time: mid- to late summer
SITE CONDITIONS
Light: full sun, part shade
Soil: wet, medium-wet, average
CULTIVATION TIPS
Establishment: requires consistently moist sites
Deer Resistance: moderate
INTERACTIONS
Pollinator Support: moderate
Other: nectar attracts Ruby-throated hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies
CULTIVATION
Establishment: requires consistently moist sites
Deer Resistance: moderate
CONSERVATION
Native Range: local ecotype
Seed Origin: Fairfield County, CT