Native & pollinator plant · Growing guide
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis · Campanulaceae family
Cardinal Flower is an upright native & pollinator plant grown for regional native gardens, pollinator habitat, and ecological planting. Use this guide to match its light, water, soil, space, seasonal care, and safety needs.
Guide status Exact ranges are a catalog starting point. Check the plant label, cultivar, region, and linked sources before planting.
- Reliable light
- Full to part sun
- Water pattern
- Consistent
- Mature size
- 51 × 28 in
- Final spacing
- 28 in
- Season
- perennial
Plant identity, types & settings
One plant guide. Clear details underneath.
Cardinal Flower is the plant identity. Container, landscape, cutting, indoor, hydroponic, and harvest labels describe ways to grow it; they are not additional plant or cultivar names.
Ways to grow it
These are garden or production settings—not cultivar names and not extra plants.
Regional Straight Species
Verify that the species is native to the planting region and source nursery-propagated local material when available.
- Mature size
- 51 × 28 in
- Spacing
- 28 in
- Container
- 10+ gal · 22+ in deep
01 · Light & site
Give it the light its growth depends on.
Full to part sun, with roughly 4 to 7 hours of useful light. Perennial timing, dormancy, and winter survival are climate- and cultivar-specific.
02 · Water & soil
Keep roots supplied without trapping water.
Keep the active root zone evenly moist while preserving oxygen and drainage.
- Soil
- Loose, organic, species-appropriate garden soil
- Drainage
- Moist but drained
- pH
- Species-specific; verify the grower label and linked guidance
03 · Spacing & roots
Make room for the mature plant.
Space plants about 28 inches apart. Expect a mature plant around 51 inches tall by 28 inches wide.
moisture-tolerant fibrous, rhizomatous, or woody root system. Container figures are a planning floor, not a claim that long-term container culture is ideal.
04 · Start
Begin with the method that protects establishment.
Use the species-appropriate method—seed, cutting, division, bulb, tuber, or a healthy transplant—and follow the plant label for timing.
05 · Care
Support healthy growth through the season.
Usually self-supporting in a compatible plant community. Add a discreet stake only if wind, bloom weight, or an exposed site makes it necessary.
- Upkeep
- High
- Feeding
- Moderate
- Watch for
- Species-specific insects, Crowding-related disease, Moisture stress
06 · Flower or harvest
Flowering and wildlife value
180–730 days to the first expected harvest, bloom, or established display; perennials may need additional seasons to settle. Bloom timing and establishment vary with climate, plant provenance, and the exact species or cultivar; locally appropriate stock is the best reference.
07 · Safety
Know the cautions before you place or use it.
- Plant parts are toxic if ingested.
- Keep this plant away from pets and contact a veterinarian or poison-control service after suspected exposure.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding safety may be uncertain or unfavorable; do not treat historical use as medical guidance.
08 · Sources
Check the evidence behind the guide.
Guide record: Editorial review pending; generated 2026-08-10. Region, cultivar, regulations, and current product labels can change the right decision.
Working checklist