A water loving, native perennial with vibrant, showy, red flowers. Each flower has three spreading lower petals and two upper petals, all united into a tube at the base. It is found primarily in wet places, such as riparian zones, riverbanks, bogs or swamps. It is also sometimes found in damp or semi-flooded and shaded forest areas.
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Lobelia
Species: Lobelia cardinalis
Habitat
Forest, Grassland, Wetland
Distribution
Ranges north to Ontario, and southeast Minnesota, south to FL, TX and southern CA; south through Mexico and Central America to northern South America
Seasonality
Summer
Abundance
Common
Activity Time
Diurnal
Diet
Behavior
Ecological Role
Nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees