Blue Lobelia

Plant Info

Also known as:	Great Blue Lobelia, Blue Cardinal Flower
Scientific name:	Lobelia siphilitica
Family:	Bellflower (Campanulaceae)
Life cycle:	perenial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; moist fields, along shores
Bloom season:	summer, fall
Plant height:	1 to 3 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

1-inch long irregular flower, 3 petals below and 2 above. Color ranges from pale blue to bright purple-blue. Lower petals have a white spot inside near the bell throat and white stripes on the outside of the throat. Upper petals are usually curved back.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are irregularly toothed, 2 to 6 inches long and up to 2 inches wide, pointed at the leaf tip and usually at the base of the leaf as well. Alternate attachment at the stem. The stem is ridged.

Notes:

The stem first felt square, which is a common trait of plants in the Mint family, but it has ridges instead. They are hard to see but easy to feel.

More photos

• a patch of Blue Lobelia near the lake shore

More blue wildflowers. All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, September 2006.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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