Scientific Name: Lobelia cardinalis
Common Name(s): Cardinal Flower

Left by Denis Barthel; Right by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician

Identification:

Cardinal flowers are vibrant red flowers that grow along lakes, streams, and other moist areas. They bloom between July and September. Cardinal flowers are in the bellflower family (Campanilaceae) and in the genus Lobelia, where flowers in this genus are characterized by milky sap and petals that have a bottom lip. The flower reaches heights of three to five feet and spread between one and two feet. They have tubular bilaterally symmetric flowers with lower and upper lips. The lower lip/petal forms three lobes and the upper lip/petal has two lobes. Cardinal flowers are a raceme type flower, which is an unbranched flower with multiple flowers along the stem. Flowers bloom from the bottom to the top with the oldest flowers on bottom and newest near the top. Shiny leaves grow in an alternate pattern around the main stem below the flowers. The leaves can grow up to six inches in length and have a lance shaped with toothed margins.

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Range:

Cardinal flowers are found throughout much of the United States and eastern Canada. Cardinal flowers are found throughout Arkansas but need moist soil that consistently stays wet such as lakeside or low-lying forested areas, like many areas in Bella Vista.

Ecology:

Cardinal flowers are herbaceous, or non-woody, perennials, meaning they will die back in the winter and grow back from their root stems the following spring. They do best in fertile and rich soil in partial shade. They are drought intolerant and need year-round moisture, and as such, grow along streams, lakes, wetlands, springs, and in low-lying forests. They have roots that are tolerant to being wet and can even grow in shallow water.

To propagate, seed will need to be stratified by being exposed to cold before they grow. They germinate in early spring but will need light, so seed will need to be sown near the soil surface. Plant seeds in low lying areas along forest margins or along lakeside habitat. They flower best in partial shade in rich, moist soil. Once they are established they will readily reseed on their own. They can be planted with other water loving natives such as the white spider lily (Hymenocallis littoralis) or Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) for a touch of red, white, and blue along your shoreline or low-lying forested habitat. However, use caution as spider lilies and cardinal flowers can both be harmful to dogs if ingested.

Cardinal flowers were used in the past in herbal remedies, although members in the genus Lobelia contain naturally occurring toxic alkaloids including lobelanine and lobeline. These make the plant harmful if ingested and may cause stomach upset and dilated pupils, along with the possibility of convulsions and coma. The Zuni people of New Mexico used cardinal flower as an ingredient in “schumaakwe cakes,” which were used for rheumatism and swelling. Also, the leaves were dried as an alternative to tobacco by the Penobscot people of Maine.

Special Notes:

Here in Bella Vista, you may find cardinal flower along lake shores, along stream banks, or in low-lying forested areas that have partial shade and consistently stay wet. They attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, as their flower shape is adapted for hummingbird beaks.