wetland wildflower
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Also known as cardinalflower
1 of 2Native to most of the USA and southern Canada
Southern New Brunswick to Ontario and southeastern Minnesota, south to Florida, Texas and southern California; south through Mexico and Central America to northern South America
- Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Moist to wet Moisture preference
- Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Jul–Oct Flowering time
- Height up to 6 ft to 1.8 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A wetland wildflower for sun through shade and consistently moist to wet soil. Its red flowers peak in August. At up to 6 ft, it needs room in rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Cardinal flower's red flowers bloom July to October, peaking in August. This late-summer display draws bees and butterflies.
Cardinal flower blooms redFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also American Bumble Bee, Bombus fervidus, Orange-legged Furrow Bee +18 more
Golden Sweat Bee, Cherry Mining Bee, Agile Longhorn Bee, Ceratina dupla, Experienced Sweat Bee, Dwarf Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Thistle Longhorn-Cuckoo, Lasioglossum cinctipes, Osmia conjuncta, False Sunflower Cuckoo Nomad Bee, Nomada affabilis, Goatsbeard Miner Bee, Illinois Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Pseudopanurgus labrosus, Peponapis pruinosa, Andrena miserabilis, Eastern Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Federal Cuckoo Carder Bee - Butterflies Monarch
also Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Pearl Crescent, Pipevine Swallowtail +10 more
Spicebush Swallowtail, Viceroy, Cloudless Sulphur, Eastern Black Swallowtail, Red-banded Hairstreak, Least Skipper, Papilio palamedes leontis, Papilio troilus troilus, Battus philenor philenor, Papilio cresphontes - Hummingbirds Anna's Hummingbird
also Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird +2 more
White-eared Hummingbird, Azure-crowned Hummingbird - Also visited by
- Flower flies:
Tiger Bee Fly, Dusky-winged Hover Fly +3 more
Black Spur Fly, Yellow Mimic Fly, Hemipenthes sinuosus - Beetles:
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, Mordellistena aspersa +2 more
Sutured Longhorn Beetle, Bruchus bivulneratus - Moths: Pink-washed Looper Moth, Acontia candefacta
- Wasps: American Yellowjacket
- Flower flies:
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Banded hairstreaknectar
- Black swallowtailnectar
- Cloudless sulphurnectar
- Eastern tiger swallowtailnectar
- Giant swallowtailnectar
- Monarch butterflynectar
- Palamedes swallowtailnectar
- Pearl crescentnectar
- Pipevine swallowtailnectar
- Red-banded hairstreaknectar
- Spicebush swallowtailnectar
- Viceroynectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Most of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (42): AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (3): NB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Southern New Brunswick to Ontario and southeastern Minnesota, south to Florida, Texas and southern California; south through Mexico and Central America to northern South AmericaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- Moist to wetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–9 · Canadian 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Moist to wet, humus-rich soil. Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, ClayThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 5.8–7.8The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- Medium to highHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- LowRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 6 ft (to 1.8 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~1 ft (0.3 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 12+ in (30+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Jul–OctWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- RedThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- Capsule; ripens Aug–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- Poisonous if eatenWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~11 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.