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Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Glistening spikes of intense, scarlet-red tubular flowers rise over dark green foliage in late summer, custom-built for ruby-throated hummingbirds. A standout candidate for stream banks, rain gardens, and moist woodland edges where soil never fully bakes. Short-lived as an individual plant, but self-seeds reliably where conditions stay damp.

Family

Campanulaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

1–2 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

May, June, July, August, September, October

Bloom colors

red

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, hummingbirds, pollinators

Landscape uses

naturalizing, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV