# Garden Lobelia

*Lobelia erinus*

Its brilliant blue flowers possess ultraviolet nectar guides that are invisible to humans but act as landing strips for bees.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Campanulaceae › Lobelia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Damp grassland slopes, rocky crevices, and coastal fynbos; widely naturalized in urban gardens.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- **Range:** South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Global gardens
- **Size:** 10-15 cm tall, trailing up to 40 cm wide
- **Lifespan:** 1-2 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Urban development in native South African habitats, though globally secure through widespread cultivation.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch, but defensive if consumed. The plant contains lobeline, which is highly toxic to humans, dogs, and cats if ingested. Maintain a safe distance for pets. If ingested, monitor for nausea or tremors and seek immediate medical or veterinary care.

## About

Lobelia erinus ( edging lobelia , garden lobelia or trailing lobelia ) is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae, native to southern Africa.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/f5e1dd15-488c-4c93-ba9b-894243a6030a
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/77797
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobelia erinus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/78984590/medium.jpeg (Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.