Lobelia

Colorful lobelias are a wonderful choice for landscaping around ponds and streams -- anywhere the soil is consistently moist. In fact, lobelia even loves downright wet conditions, making it a top choice for bog gardens.

Perennial type of lobelia (not to be confused with the low-growing, often blue annual types) are magnets for hummingbirds, so they're great for wildlife gardens. The foliage is a handsome rich green to sometimes dark reddish purple. The plant produces striking spikes of flowers in all shades of red, pink, blue, and white. Lobelia needs humus-rich soil. Mulch with a biodegradable material, such as wood bark or chopped leaves, to add humus to the soil.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Zones:

2-10

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

2-6 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-3 feet wide

Bloom Time:

Blooms midsummer to early fall, depending on variety

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fall Color,Cut Flowers,Attracts Hummingbirds,Attracts Butterflies,Tolerates Wet Soil

Top Varieties

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Cardinal flower

Lobelia cardinalis has upright 3-foot stems clothed with 3- to 4-inch-long, lance-shape dark green leaves. Brilliant red flowers are borne in loose spires. Zones 2-8
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'Fan Salmon' lobelia

Lobelia 'Fan Salmon' bears warm salmon-pink flowers with contrasting bronze foliage. It grows 2 feet tall. Zones 4-8
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'Fan Scarlet' lobelia

Lobelia 'Fan Scarlet' is a stunning selection with bronze foliage and scarlet-red flowers. It grows 2 feet tall. Zones 4-8
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Garden Plans

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Red-Theme Garden Plan
Easy Front-Yard Garden Plan
Fragrant Slope Garden Plan
Design for a Moon Garden
Four Gorgeous Bulb and Perennial Gardens
Beautiful Blues Garden Plan
Downspout Garden

Plant It With

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Primrose

Near ponds and streams, spring-blooming primroses of many sorts are charming with their white, pink, or yellow flowers, often in tiers one above the other. Later on lobelias bring interest to the same area.

Iris

The glorious open flowers of Japanese iris bloom with the earliest lobelias with a contrast in flower shape. Both thrive in damp soil.

Astilbe

Astilbes bloom with fluffy plumes of red, pink, or white flowers just ahead of lobelias, which then carry the colorful interest into fall. They enjoy similar conditions.

Turtlehead

The rounded mounds of handsome dark foliage and inflated pink or white flowers of turtlehead make fine companions for lobelias where soil is rich and damp.

Propagation

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Seed
Division
Stem Cuttings