Simcoe County Master Gardeners
Grow Natives!
PLANT PROFILE
COMMON NAME: Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
BINOMIAL: Lobelia cardinalis
| Family | Campanulaceae (Bellflower family) |
| Cdn Native Range | eastern and central regions of ON, QU, NB, MN, SK |
| Natural habitat | ditches, ravines, stream banks, roadsides, prairie, plains, wet meadows, pastures, savannas, near lakes or ponds, swamps |
| Type | herbaceous perennial |
| Features | showy flower |
| Growth habit | a basal rosette of leaves sends up tall, unbranched spikes of brilliant, intense red flowers |
| Mature height | usually 60–120 cm (24–48 in), up to 180 cm (72 inch) |
| Mature spread | 37 cm (18 in) |
| Life span | short-lived perennial that spreads and colonizes in the right conditions |
| Cdn Hardiness Zone | 4–7 |
| Growing conditions | full sun to partial shade |
| Soil conditions | moist, wet, humus-rich soil |
| Watering needs | soil needs to be kept moist |
| Fertilizer needs | n/a |
| Tolerance | soggy soil, standing water |
| Maintenance rank | low if soil is naturally wet |
| Maintenance needs | deadheading spent blooms |
| Bloom | vibrant, showy red blooms; two-lipped flowers bloom on tall spikes May– Oct |
| Fruit | two-celled capsules (pods) containing hundreds of tiny seeds |
| Pollinator support | nectar and pollen for bees; nectar for hummingbirds; larval host for pink-washed looper and other moths |
| Environmental support | tuberous roots can help with erosion |
| Garden Use | pond-side or rain garden, butterfly and hummingbird gardens |
| Risks & Cautions | toxic only if eaten in large quantities |
References: Wildflower.org; Native Plant Gardener, nativeplantgardener.ca; Ontario Plants, www.onplants.ca; The Spruce, www.thespruce.com
Photo Credits:
Cardinal Flower – Flower (credit: Swallowtail Garden Seeds via Wikimedia Commmons)
Cardinal Flower (credit: Denis Barthel via Wikimedia Commons)
Cardinal Flower – Seed Pod (credit: DouglasGoldman via Wikimedia Commons)
