Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Cardinal Flower is the hummingbird plant. The intense scarlet-red blooms. a shade of red so saturated it almost looks artificial. are precisely tuned to the color sensitivity of hummingbirds, which see red clearly while most insects cannot. In August, when the flower spikes are at peak bloom, you will hear hummingbirds buzzing around your garden before you see them. This is the plant that brings them in. Plant it at the edge of a water feature, in a rain garden, or along a shaded slope where moisture collects. It self-seeds reliably in moist conditions, so a single plant becomes a colony over three to four seasons. Pair it with Blue Cardinal Flower for a classic native combination that blooms side by side in late summer and doubles the wildlife attraction.