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Lobelia cardinalis L.
Cardinalflower
Red Lobelia
Florida native
Threatened Florida species
An occasional perennial herb of floodplain forests and spring runs from about the I-4 corridor northward. The range extends throughout the eastern United States and Canada and into the southwestern states.
This is the only red-flowered lobelia in Florida and much of its range. The bright red or scarlet flowers grow in a showy raceme. The zygomorphic flowers are two-lipped, with the lower lip often more deeply lobed than most of the lobelias. The calyx has five linear, entire and hairy lobes. The fruits are ovoid or spherical capsules with brown seeds. The alternate leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, toothed, and reduced upward. Plants can grow to 3 meters (~10 ft.) tall.
Lobelia cardinalis is a member of the Campanulaceae - Bellflower family.
Other species of the Lobelia genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Lobelia amoena - SOUTHERN LOBELIA
Lobelia brevifolia - SHORTLEAF LOBELIA
Lobelia feayana - BAY LOBELIA
Lobelia georgiana - SOUTHERN LOBELIA
Lobelia glandulosa - GLADE LOBELIA
Lobelia paludosa - WHITE LOBELIA
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 02, 2023
