A LITTLE MORE LIFE
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Late red flowers supply nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME
A spot to thrive.
Never let the soil dry out; afternoon shade helps in hot climates.
- Sunlight
- Part sun & shade
- Soil moisture
- Moist to wet / Average moisture
- Mature size
- 4–5 ft tall · 1–2 ft wide
- Season of interest
- Summer–Fall
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 3–9
- Garden role
- Red flowers for a moist border
ONE GOOD SWAP
Instead of woodland sage.
Salvia nemorosa
Try cardinal flower for red flowers for a moist border.
Compare plantsNATIVE TO YOUR PLACE
Find it in your state guide.
Reviewed native coverage. Choose your state to see more alternatives.
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Dig a little deeper.
Photo credits & licenses
Cardinal flower: Debbie Roos · CC BY 2.0
Woodland sage: 3268zauber · CC BY-SA 3.0
Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits