Lobelia cardinalis
cardinal flower
Campanulaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
flower
Size:
3-5 ft tall by 1 ft wide
Life Span:
short-lived perennial
Flower Color:
red
Fruit Color:
brown
Phenology:
Winter dormant. Blooms late summer-early winter. While perennial, some plants may die after flowering.
Noted For:
Showy Flowers
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Wildflower in moist garden, edge of water garden, understory plant in wet woods or stream edges
Considerations:
Light:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade
Moisture Tolerance:
Aquatic ---- to ---- Somewhat moist, no flooding
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand, Loam
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B
Ecology
Wildlife:
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
The nectar attracts various Swallowtail butterflies.
Bumblebees will steal nectar through slits in the tubular corolla.
Halictid bees sometimes gather pollen, but they are apparently ineffective at pollination (Hillty, ).
Attracts hummingbirds.
Native Habitats:
Riverine swamps, spring run swamps, bogs, in mats of floating vegetation, wet ditches.
