Cardinal Flower

This late-summer perennial blooms profusely with brilliant red flower spikes that bloom from the bottom up, rising from rosettes of glossy, lance-shaped leaves. Red lobelia plants are short-lived, usually dying after 2-3 blooms; however, offshoots and self-seeding will eventually colonize an area. Native habitats include wooded swamps, marshes, along banks of ponds and streams, and moist woods. Red lobelia is unusually resistant to diseases and pests, and is highly attractive to pollinators. It’s one of the best native plants for attracting hummingbirds.

Soil type: grow in a range of soil conditions

Soil moisture: moist conditions including low or poorly drained spots

Sun exposure: full sun in colder climates, but in hotter areas need some afternoon shade

Height: 30-100 cm tall

Bloom Color: Red

Bloom Time: late summer to fall

Benefits: Host plant to 5 species of Lepidoptera larvae, including specialist pink-washed looper (pictured here), greater black-letter dart, dark-spotted palthis, and red-banded leafroller moth. Large swallowtail butterflies and bees consume the nectar and pollen. Hummingbirds favor and frequently visit the flowers. Deer and rabbits tend to leave the plant alone.

(Sources: mortonarb.com / leavesforwildlife.com /vplant.org / inaturalist.org, gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org)