Scientific Name:
Lobelia
x
speciosa
Pronunciation:
loh-BEE-lee-ah ex spee-see-OH-zuh
Common Name:
lobelia
Family Name:
Campanulaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate but may clusters at nodes; flower bilabiate (3 petals hanging like tongues, 2 more upright like open arms).
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Pyramidal - narrowly
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Container planting, Perennial border, Summer interest (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Google. Most images are Compliment Series (dark green leaves, loose racemes).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblanceolate, Obovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate, Cuneate, Truncate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Blue, Violet, Purple, Pink, Red, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
