Plant of the Week 10: Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

            The intense, scarlet-colored flowers are hard to miss when you see Cardinal Flower blooming in the wild during the late summer. A short-lived perennial, this member of the Bellflower family can readily self-sow its seeds and create dense patches with remarkable floral displays. The common name refers to the robes that are worn by Catholic Cardinals.

             Flower stalks arise from a basal rosette of leaves in the summer, and typically reach between 2 and 4 feet tall, providing a nice vertical accent for a native or rain garden. The basal rosette sometimes remains throughout the winter.

            The brilliant, deep red color is one of the most vibrant of native wildflowers. Flowers open from bottom to top on the stalks and flowering occurs from July through September. Each individual bloom usually has 5 petals, 3 lower and 2 above.

            Cardinal Flower is often called a ‘hummingbird magnet’ and is very attractive to hummingbirds, whose long beaks help collect nectar. In addition to being a nectar source, it is a larval host for a couple of caterpillar species.

            The natural habitat of cardinal flower is in wetter areas with at least partial sun, most commonly along streambanks and in wet meadows. Look in McKee Beshers WMA, Rock Creek Park, and many other parks in the region.