Full Answer
How to grow lobelia in a moon garden?
Use a lobelia with white flowers in a moon garden. Grow your lobelia in a hanging basket and display it on a porch. Install several lobelia plants along the edge of a mixed container garden, such as a whiskey barrel, and display it on your patio.
What is Lobelia in gardening?
Lobelia is a tender perennial widely grown as an annual plant in most USDA zones. This colorful plant belongs to the Campanulaceae (or "bellflower") family.
What is the flower of Lobelia Erinus?
Lobelia erinus 'Alba': tender perennial, with white flowers and a trailing habit. Lobelia erinus 'Lilac Fountain': tender perennial, with lilac-pink flowers and a trailing habit. Lobelia erinus 'Rosamund': tender perennial, with cherry-red flowers and a trailing habit.
What plant hangs on the side of a window box?
Likewise, as an element in mixed window boxes, lobelia can be the plant that hangs down the side of the window box, while taller plants such as Victoria blue salvia ( Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue') provide the backdrop.
What flowers are used in lobelia?
In the United States, use lobelia with blue flowers, along with red salvia ( Salvia splendens) and white petunias ( Petunia x hybrida ), in patriotic landscaping displays ( July 4th plantings and plantings around cemetery monuments on Memorial Day).
How big is Lobelia Erinus?
Botanical Name. Lobelia erinus. Common Name. Annual lobelia, edging lobelia, lobelia. Plant Type. Tender perennial. Mature Size. 6 to 9 inches in height , with a slightly greater spread.
Can Lobelia be grown in full sun?
One of the selling points of lobelia is that it is not fussy about sunlight levels, flowering nicely in anything from full sun to partial shade. In the South, it is best to grow it in partial shade. In the North, grow it in full sun (as long as you water it regularly) to enjoy maximum flowering.
PLANTING & LOBELIA CARE
How to plant: Lobelia plant performs best with full sun to partial shade and rich, well-draining soil. Choose a site that receives at least 4-6 hours of direct sun. Follow these steps and space garden lobelia plants 6-18 inches apart, depending on the variety.
HOW TO USE LOBELIA IN YOUR LANDSCAPE
The nonstop bloom, beautiful flower colors and ability to thrive in full sun or partial shade makes lobelia a versatile addition to any landscape. Here are just a few ideas on how to use lobelia in your yard:
COMPANION PLANTS
Plant lobelia alongside other plants with similar cultural needs of full sun to partial shade, rich soil and good drainage.
What is the color of Lobelia?
Lobelia ×speciosa are popular garden hybrids (usually of L. cardinalis and L. siphilitica) with flowers in shades of blue, lavender, pink or red and a long summer bloom period.
How many species of lobelia are there?
They're not just a one-color wonder, nor are they always a tender annual. There are more than 400 species that include upright and mounding lobelias, annuals, half-hardy annuals, perennials, and even shrubs and aquatic plants.
What is Lobelia erinus?
VARIETIES. Although there are hundreds of lobelia varieties, these are the types most commonly grown in the home garden: Edging lobelias ( Lobelia erinus) and their hybrids are tender perennials grown as warm-weather garden annuals. Often grown as container and edging plants, they can have bushy or trailing habits.
How to propagate perennials?
Propagating: Perennials tend to be short-lived, but the plants are easy to propagate by dividing them in the spring or fall or by taking stem cuttings after your plants finish flowering. Unless you plan to let your plants self-sow, divide them every two or three years to extend their lifespan.
What type of soil do cardinals like?
Most prefer moist, hummus-rich, slightly acidic soil. Some perennial varieties, such as cardinal flower, prefer boggy conditions and can even be grown in standing water.
Do you need to deadhead lobelia?
Most annual lobelias are self-cleaning, so you don’t need to deadhead them. If blooming slows during the heat of summer, the best way to revive them is to cut them back by as much as one-half to two-thirds, followed by regular watering. This radical pruning will regenerate new growth, and by the time the cooler weather of fall arrives, your plants should be in full bloom again. You can also pinch back plants at any time if you prefer bushier growth.
Do blue flowers bloom in spring?
Not only do many varieties have true blue flowers, a rarity in the garden world, many also love cool weather and are in full splendor during spring and fall. They are a must-have for my spring containers, and anywhere else in my garden where I want to add a blast of blue. They're not just a one-color wonder, nor are they always a tender annual.
How to keep lobelia from dying back?
Perennial Lobelia in winter will die back. Leaves drop and stem s may get soft. Cut them back after flowering to a couple of inches (5 cm.) above the ground. Spread organic mulch around the root zone but keep it away from the main stems. Covering these can promote rot.
How hot does it have to be for a sage plant to bloom?
These are hardy to 5 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 to -10 C.). Either variety needs well-draining soil in full sun for best blooming. The annual forms tend to get weedy when temperatures get hot in summer but can be rejuvenated by cutting the plants back by half.
Can Lobelia erinus survive freezing?
But it is easy to plant from seed in controlled situations. Perennial plants will die back but, if given proper care, should flourish anew when temperatures warm up. Lobelia erinus is the annual variety of the plant and comes in many species. It is not hardy in cold temperatures and will not survive being frozen.
Is Lobelia a perennial or annual?
Image by alexbruce. There are many types of Lobelia . Some are annuals and some are perennials and some are annuals only in northern climates. Annuals will usually self-seed and come back the next year, while perennials will re-sprout from the dormant plant in spring. Lobelia winter hardiness varies by species, ...
Can Lobelia be grown outside in winter?
That is a pretty broad temperature range and almost any gardener can have success with these forms as outdoor plants in winter.
Can Lobelia come back in winter?
Lobelia Winter Hardiness. Lobelia in winter will die back no matter which variety you have. However, the annual Lobelia may not come back at all even if it formed seed. This is due to incorrect germination requirements. But it is easy to plant from seed in controlled situations.
Can Lobelia be cut back?
In warmer zones, annual Lobelia can remain outdoors and will continue to bloom if cut back. Eventually, the plant will die out but should reseed. Northern gardeners will have to plant these Lobelias in containers and bring them indoors before any danger of frost.
How to keep lobelia from looking messy?
Cut back the plant by half or more at the end of its bloom period. Trimming back lobelia plants keeps them from looking messy, and it may encourage another flush of blooms.
How to trim a spiky plant?
For spiky types, wait until the entire spike has faded before clipping out the stems. Cut back the plant by half or more at the end of its bloom period .
Do lobelia survive winter?
They survive winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, but they are usually grown as spring annuals because they fade in the summer heat. Edging and trailing lobelia follow a schedule similar to pansies and linaria, and most growers remove them in early summer when they no longer look their best.
Should I Prune My Lobelia?
Yes. Cutting back lobelia plants improves their appearance and health. It also encourages the plant to produce more flowers over a longer period of time. The three types of pruning that benefit lobelia plants are removing spent flowers, pinching, and cutting back.
What is Lobelia Erinus?
Compact and popular, Lobelia erinus (Trailing Lobelia) is a tender perennial, usually grown as an annual, boasting masses of brightly colored flowers adorned with white or yellow throats from spring to the first frosts. Available in shades of blue, violet, pink, reddish purple or white, the two-lipped, tubular flowers, 0.5 in. long (1 cm), feature large fan-shaped lower lips. Borne in loose clusters, they perform well in cool summer weather, but tend to fade out during hot dry summers. The leafy branching stems are clad with narrow, linear, green leaves sometimes tinged with bronze. Lobelia erinus is quite versatile and can be used in hanging baskets, containers or window boxes where it can function as a filler or trail gracefully over the edges. The upright varieties are best for edging and flower beds. Easy to grow and prolifically colorful, it attracts butterflies, is ignored by deer and is wonderful for creating a dazzling display through the summer.
Is Lobelia a perennial?
Appreciates regular fertilization throughout the growing season. This Lobelia is perennial in hardiness zones 10-11, but treated as an annual in cooler areas.
When to divide lobelia?
The best time to divide lobelia is in the spring , just after the new growth begins to emerge. References. Missouri Botanical Garden: Lobelia Siphilitica.
How to grow Lobelia from seed?
Lobelia can be grown from seed planted directly in the garden. To give the young plants a head start, plant the seeds indoors in early February. The seeds need 15 to 20 days to grow large enough to be transplanted outdoors safely. While lobelia is cold hardy once it is established, new seedlings should not be planted too early in the season. The new roots and leaves need time to become established in the garden so they'll be strong enough to weather the cold. Exact planting dates vary depending on your area and climate.
What is a blue lobelia?
By Heidi Grover. The blue flowers of lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) can be a bright addition to the fall garden. Also called big blue lobelia or blue cardinal flower, lobelia is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9. You can start lobelia indoors from seed and transplant it outside when temperatures reach 60 degrees ...
Does Lobelia self seed?
Spreading Out. Once established in the garden, lobelia will spread and expand its territory. While lobelia is not invasive and won’t take over the garden, it does self-seed. When clumps of lobelia get too large, you should divide them and transplant some in another area of the garden.
Can you plant lobelia early in the season?
While lobelia is cold hardy once it is established, new seedlings should not be planted too early in the season. The new roots and leaves need time to become established in the garden so they'll be strong enough to weather the cold. Exact planting dates vary depending on your area and climate.
