Cardinal flower

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Onglets

Description

The cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) stands out through the scarlet color of its blooms, reminiscent of the robes worn by Catholic cardinals. Those blooms have a tubular shape. A herbaceous perennial, it has a stem that can reach 60 to 120 cm in height.

Leaves are slender and dark green, sometimes tinged with purple, and are alternated along the stem: in other words, they are not arranged in opposite pairs, but one per node, in an offset way. Their size varies according to their position on the main stem. At the base the leaves are broader, while those higher up on the stem are narrower.

Reproduction

This plant blooms in the summer, from July to September. Pollination of Lobelia cardinalis flowers is primarily the work of hummingbirds. In effect, the tubular, upright flowers are adapted to the anatomy of those birds.

The cardinal flower also has creeping shoots that start at the base of the stem and serve in its vegetative propagation.

Habitat, distribution

It grows in wet areas, more particularly in floodplains, swamps, and on riverbanks. It is well suited to rich, humid, even saturated soil, and is found both in sites exposed to the sun and in partly shaded spots

It is a species native to North America, principally to areas of eastern Canada and the United States, as far south as Florida. In Canada it can be found more specifically in southern Ontario and southern Québec, and into New Brunswick.

Ecology

The cardinal flower comprises an important source of food (nectar) for hummingbirds and pollinating insects. In fact, the pendant lip on the flower is adapted to birds and insects that are able to hover over it while drinking the nectar.

The cardinal flower’s presence on riverbanks is conducive to soil retention and helps prevent its erosion.

Uses and effects

Explorers in North America were quick to appreciate the cardinal flower’s attractiveness and to send specimens back to France to share the wealth of the New World. The species was planted in English gardens in the days of Queen Elizabeth I.

In his book Flore laurentienne, Marie-Victorin rightly stated that the cardinal flower is one of our loveliest native flowers.

Today it is sold through garden centres as an ornamental. The plant is toxic but not fatal.

Scientific name

Lobelia cardinalis

French name

Lobélie cardinale

Plant form

Herbaceous terrestrial plant

Family

Campanulaceae

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Cardinal flower

Onglets

Description

Reproduction

Habitat, distribution

Ecology

Uses and effects

Scientific name

French name

Plant form

Family

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