Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis L.
Also called cardinal flower.
Brilliant scarlet flower spikes for wet soil and stream edges; one of the strongest hummingbird attractants.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.6–1.2 m (2–4 ft) tall and 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) wide; medium growth, about 3 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #1 install size.
Bloom
Scarlet flowers, Jul–Sep (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal flower : Jul–Sep |
Design notes
- Short-lived; allow some seedlings to replace parents.
- Do not mulch over the basal rosettes in winter.
Regions
Native range: Eastern North America and riparian areas of the Southwest.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Cardinal flower
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.