Cardinal Flower
Order: Campanulales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Lobelia L.
Species: L. cardinalis L.
General Characteristics: Cardinal flower is a short-lived herbaceous perennial that grows in clumps usually 1-3' tall and a foot or less in diameter. The stems and leaves have a purplish tint and no wildflower is brighter red. Cardinal flower spends the winter as a basal rosette of 5-7" elliptic leaves flat on the ground. In spring it sends up one or more unbranched (sometimes branched) stems with smaller leaves. By mid-summer each stem develops a terminal raceme a foot or so long of brilliant scarlet-red flowers, each about 1-2" long. The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetrical with two lips. The upper lip has two more or less erect lobes, and the lower lip has three lobes that are spread out horizontally or dip downward. Flowers continue to develop at the tip of the lengthening raceme until frost.
Special Adaptation: Cardinal flower is pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird. They are attracted to it in droves.
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