Scientific Name:
Lobelia cardinalis
Pronunciation:
loe-BEEL-yuh kar-dih-NAY-liss
Common Name:
cardinal flower
Family Name:
Campanulaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Stems about 90cm tall; leaves alternate, lanceolate, reddish-purple; racemes bright, crimson red raceme with 4cm long bilabiate florets.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Pyramidal - narrowly
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Canada - eastern
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract butterflies, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include L. 'Queen Victoria' (dark red leaves).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, bright green, bronze-tinged
Shapes:
Oblanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink, Red (Scarlet red with reddish-purple bracts (white, pink salmon/ cream and dark red cultivars also exist).)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant,
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Pest Susceptibility:
(Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
