Summary
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a sure bet for gardeners anxious to have hummingbirds visit their gardens. Set against deep green foliage, pure red flowers appear on 2’ long spikes atop 3-4’ tall plants, providing a spectacular garden display in the heat of summer. Cardinal flower flourishes in acidic to neutral, average to moist soils in filtered shade to full sun. Stream banks, water’s edge, meadow margins, and garden soils less prone to drought stress are excellent sites to grow this adorable herbaceous perennial. Cardinal flower grows well with great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), closed bottle gentian (Gentiana clausa), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), swamp rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), blue flag (Iris versicolor), and cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). Zones 3-9.
More Details
- Sun/Shade Conditions
full-sun-to-partial-shade - Foliage Character
deciduous - Soil Moisture
average-to-wet - Flowering Period
mid-to-late-summer - Soil PH
adaptable - Flower Color
red - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
green - Fruit/Seed Color
green, tan
Additional Information
USDA Plants Database, Floridata, Wildflowers of the Southeastern U.S., Missouri Botanical Garden