Crimson Cardinalis in the Rain Garden
Lobelia cardinalis, or Cardinal Flower, blooms unexpectedly from swampy wet land!
Recognizing it
These blooms are pretty distinctive. They are usually red, although pink and white cultivars exist. Each of the flowers has five petals, with the nectar — and pollen — deep in the tube they form. For that reason, this flower must be pollinated mostly by hummingbirds, not insects.
The leaves are alternate, meaning they don’t sit directly across each other on the stem, and have slight saw edges.
It grows between two and four feet tall. These guys were on the small side.
It blooms from May until October. It’s a perennial, and blooms after it’s second year. The first year, it simply grows a low rosette of leaves. So if you find some mature Cardinal Flower that’s blooming, look around for some low rosettes. I didn’t see any… maybe another time.
Where to find it?
This flower likes wet feet. It won’t grow in permanent standing water, but it does just fine being flooded periodically. It is recommended for rain gardens by the Maryland Extension Service! And as I snapped these pictures in the rain garden at Benjamin Banneker, I have concrete evidence that works!
So, Cardinal Flower requires wet soil. Per the Maryland Extension Service, the soil should not be allowed to dry out around the roots to ensure maximum bloom. And in hot weather, it benefits from some shade. So this moisture loving plant can thrive in shady environments. It does like rich soil, so consider regular fertilization if you want it to bloom and look the best.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
The Iroquois used this plant extensively as medicine. The root was combined with other plants and boiled to treat fever sores. And it could be used as an emetic (to induce vomiting) or to treat cramps. The Delaware used it to treat Typhoid, and the Pawnee used it as a component in a love charm (USDA)!
The love charm sounds interesting, so I did a little more research. I found that per the 1911–1912 edition of the Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology for the Smithsonian Institute, the combination of L. cardinalis, Aquilegia canadensis, Cogswellia daucifolia, and Panax quinquefolium with red earth paint would make the holder of the charm irresistible. A very useful charm indeed!
