Lobelia cardinalis - CARDINAL FLOWER
Tanya’s Take: My garden had these but lost them in a drought. I keep selling out of them so I have not brought them back in my garden.
Pollinators served: Attracts birds, butterflys and hummingbirds. Nectar source.
Color and texture: Clump forming with large leaves
Flowers: Awesome intense red spikes in summer
Height: 3-4’+ in full shade and a wet area. Can be much taller.
Sun, part shade or shade?: Listed as needing part sun. However, I had these in full deep shade and they bloomed like nobody’s business.
Is it a bully? Not at all. Neat expanding clumps. I have had it reseed, but they are always welcome. I have seen it listed as a short lived perennial and that's probably true.
Drought tolerance: Needs consistent moisture.
Toughness rating: Not drought tolerant. I repeat: needs water.
Should you give this plant a try: Yes, if you have a spot that doesn’t get bone dry.
Is this native: Yup. DC, MD and VA
Best comment on this plant from the web. From Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center: Use Other: Used mainly in love potions. Finely chopped roots places in food as love charm.
What more could you want in a plant?
What is a native plant plug?
A small plant about 1.5" x 1.5" x 5". Yep, it’s pretty small. But they are incredibly well rooted and ready to grow.
With a season of growth, they'll be roughly the size of a gallon plant and fully acclimated to your conditions.
Why does Bipartisan Gardens focus on selling native plant plugs?
It's a 45 min drive to the nearest native plant nursery is a deal breaker. We provide easy access to native plants at a cost effective price.
We want you to have birds and bees in your yard…you can buy native plants online, right here, right now, and we’ll even deliver them.
Benefits/uses of plant plugs
1 - Establish new areas of garden beds quickly and inexpensively.
Native plant plugs allow you to purchase multiple plants cost effectively. You can establish robust plantings quickly to have flowers and dense, weed blocking plantings this year.
2- Buy a sampler!
From this sale you can also try native pollinator plants in a cost effective way. Not sure a plant will work for you? Less than $4 lets you see if it’ll work. You can try as many as you like and see what works for different locations in your yard without breaking the bank.
3 – We provide a variety of natives that you won’t see in many nurseris. From sun to shade, native specites to tried and true native cultivars we strive to bring a variety to you.
4 - Did I mention they are cheap?? At $3.75 per plant they are a cost effective investment this year for next year's garden.
To put this in context, at a nursery native plants are between $11-20 per plant. While those plants are larger, they typically only have one extra season of growth on them. Buying small and waiting is an excellent investment!
If you buy in the fall the plant will be busy building a root system. You won't see much top growth, if any at all. However, in the spring you should see a robust plant come rocketing out of the ground!
PICK UP LOCATION
Pick for native plants is only at the Takoma location.
TAKOMA - 808 Aspen St NW DC 20012
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
The plants will come with basic care and planting instructions.
A few quick FAQ's Planting immediately is best, but it is ok to leave them in their containers in a cool shady spot for a few days. Keep them watered, they are small they dry very quickly. Dig a small hole, plant and water thoroughly. Don't forget to label them!
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