Lobelia siphilitica - Great Blue Lobelia

The true blue sister of Cardinal flower, Great Blue Lobelia is an excellent addition to any rain garden, bioswale, or pond edge. Offering brilliant color and beautiful large tubular flowers on vertical stalks, this plant really pops in the late summer garden. It’s 2-3 foot height and compact stature make Lobelia siphilitica suitable for even the most formal of gardens, and your neighbors will certainly ask were you found such a beautiful species! While adaptable to both full sun and part shade, the plant is not drought-tolerant, so ensure moist conditions are maintained, especially in the sunniest of sites. Morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal for Great Blue Lobelia.

Of course this plant is also highly beneficial to wildlife, as are all species offered by Magical Mystery Meadows. Swallowtails, skippers, and monarchs are frequent visitors, as are long-tongues native bees like bumblebees and leaf-cutter bees. Even hummingbirds feed on the late-summer which lasts into migration season. Bonus: the alkaloids in this plant make it highly unpalatable to mammalian herbivores like deer and rabbits!

Sun: full - partial sun

Height: 2 - 3’

Flower color: blue

Bloom time: July - September 

Wetness: wet - medium

Root system: fibrous

Soil: moist soils high in organic matter, including loamy clay