cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
The cardinal flower is specially adapted for pollination by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, whose long bill easily reaches the deep nectar tube where most insects cannot.
- Scientific name
- Lobelia cardinalis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Campanulaceae › Lobelia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Wet meadows, marshes, stream banks, swamps, and damp lowlands.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, extracting water and minerals from saturated soils).
- Range
- United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia
- Size
- 30 to 120 cm (1 to 4 feet) in height
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years (perennial, but propagates easily via self-seeding)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, habitat fragmentation, and competition from invasive plant species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but all parts of this plant are toxic if ingested due to the presence of lobeline alkaloids. Enjoy its vibrant beauty from a safe distance without picking the wild blooms. If accidental ingestion occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
Lobelia cardinalis (syn. L. fulgens , cardinal flower ) is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia.
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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