Cardinal Flower - Red Lobelia

 Ideal for Rain Gardens, draw hummingbirds, Butterfly. Cardinal Flower attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with its bright red blossoms. It prefers moist, shady to sunny areas and can self-seed to provide nectar for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Great for perennial borders, wild or native plant gardens, and woodland gardens.

Excellent for butterfly or bird (hummingbird) gardens. Also effective near ponds or streams. An individual stalk of Cardinal Flower continues to blossom for several weeks. By the time the flowers at the top of the stalk are open, the older flowers at the base have already set

Planting Instructions: Easily grown in rich, humusy, medium wet to wet soils in light shade to full sun. Needs constant moisture. Will tolerate full sun in cool, northern climates, but otherwise appreciates part shade. Divide clumps in spring as needed. May self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Mulching helps to keep the roots moist. Be careful not to allow fallen leaves to smother next season's rosettes. Dig a hole large enough to hold the roots. If any roots seem tightly bound, loosen before planting. Fill the hole with water and position the plant so the crown (where the roots meet the stem) is just slightly below the soil line. Fill the hole with soil and water again.