Lobelia Siphilitica
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), also known as blue cardinal flower, is a flowering perennial plant that occurs in damp woodlands and along stream banks in the United States. It works well in perennial borders or along streams or ponds. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
Great blue lobelias are clump-forming plants that grow between 1 and 3 feet tall with a 1-to-1.5-foot spread. They have lance-shaped leaves with serrated margins and branched or unbranched stems. Elongated clusters of tubular purplish-blue flowers bloom between July and October. Each individual blossom is split into an upper and lower lip; the lower part of the flower is divided into three white-striped segments, while the upper lip has two solid-colored lobes.
Cultivation
-
Great blue lobelias prefer full sunlight or partial shade and deep moist or wet sandy, loam or clay soil. They are intolerant of drought. They grow in United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 4 through 8, which includes cities such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mansfield, Pennsylvania and Tifton, Georgia. (See Resources for zones.) They have no serious insect problems or diseases.
-
Warning
-
All parts of the great blue lobelia plant are toxic, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. They contain chemicals that cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach upset, vomiting, pupil dilation, seizures and coma if eaten in large amounts.
-
