Lobelia cardinalis or Cardinal flower
I found this beautiful red Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) down by Main Area West and posted a photo to the James River News Hub Facebook page, asking what it was. I immediately got feedback from Amy George Brown and the Upper James Riverkeeper for the James River Association that the wildflower in the photo was a Cardinal flower, […]
I found this beautiful red Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) down by Main Area West and posted a photo to the James River News Hub Facebook page, asking what it was.
I immediately got feedback from Amy George Brown and the Upper James Riverkeeper for the James River Association that the wildflower in the photo was a Cardinal flower, known for attract hummingbirds. The flower I saw could have washed down the James and might have been deposited there by the river.
See the USDA website for plenty more information. Also, from a wikipedia page:
It is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 1.2 m tall and is found in wet places, streambanks, and swamps. The leaves are up to 20 cm long and 5 cm broad, lanceolate to oval, with a toothed margin. The flowers are usually vibrant red, deeply five-lobed, up to 4 cm across; they are produced in an erect raceme up to 70 cm tall during the summer to fall.
Along with red forms of bee balm this plant is a must if you want to attract hummingbirds. In the wild it is pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).
-
Recommend this
on Facebook -
Report an error
-
Subscribe to our
Weekly Digest
This article has been closed to further comments.