FNPS Plant Database

Lobelia cardinalis

cardinal flower
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

cardinal flower

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Lobelia cardinalis

Family:

Campanulaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

3-5 ft tall by 1 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

red

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Winter dormant. Blooms late summer-early winter. While perennial, some plants may die after flowering.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower in moist garden, edge of water garden, understory plant in wet woods or stream edges

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed, division, or cuttings.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Aquatic -to- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Hummingbirds

The nectar attracts various Swallowtail butterflies.





Bumblebees will steal nectar through slits in the tubular corolla.





Halictid bees sometimes gather pollen, but they are apparently ineffective at pollination (Hillty, ).

Attracts hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Riverine swamps, spring run swamps, bogs, in mats of floating vegetation, wet ditches.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Hilty, John. (2002-2018). Wetland Wildflowers of Illinois: Cardinal Flower ( Lobelia cardinalis ). ( https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/cardinal.htm. Accessed 2026.


Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (2023). Plant Database: Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower). ( https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=loca2 ). Accessed 2026. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, FL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2026. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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