The illustrated growing guide
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Family Campanulaceae
Est. zones 3-9
The reddest flower in the native palette and a hummingbird magnet — the scarlet tubular spikes are shaped exactly for their bills. It demands constantly moist soil (a pond edge, rain garden, or a spot you'll never let dry), where it's short-lived but self-sows to persist. Worth every drop of water for the hummingbird show.
Full Sun to Part Shade
High water
Moderate growth
Deer-resistant
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing cardinal flower? Hang it.
Our Wildflowers Vol. 2 collection carries cardinal flower — Lobelia cardinalis, print Nº 12, “Cardinal Flower.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will cardinal flower suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what cardinal flower actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-9Cardinal Flower at a glance
Common cardinal flower problems
- Almost none
- Rot if crown stays wet in winter (moist yes, stagnant no)
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow cardinal flower: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate cardinal flower
III
The year
What cardinal flower asks for, month by month.
The cardinal flower year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The cardinal flower year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep bloom
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Cardinal Flower in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
What cardinal flower is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenToxic if eaten
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of cardinal flower, ruled as a catalogue.
Best cardinal flower varieties & cultivars
'Cardinalis' (native scarlet); 'Black Truffle' (dark foliage); Lobelia × 'Grape Knee-High'
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to cardinal floweryet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Cardinal Flower questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat cardinal flower?
Rarely — cardinal flower is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is cardinal flower safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. Toxic if eaten Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate cardinal flower?
Division or seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where cardinal flower sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily