What makes a plant a choice for your home garden? Plants are selected because of their beauty, grandeur, benefits, and use. The beautiful Lobelia is a well-loved plant because of its beauty and benefits. Please get to know it and get to know about the plant up close. Here are some of the plant’s identity that you should know:
Lobelias
Lobelia is a flowering plant that is endemic in North America. The plant is a low-growing species, and it stands from 14 inches up to 4 feet tall. The plant has a capsule-like fruit with numerous seeds inside, and it has a long leaf with tiny flowers of blue and violet. Some Lobelia has white, pink, red, and yellow shades.
Lobelia blooms in summer, and it is the most active growing season of the plant. The plant can grow in greenhouses or the garden. The garden lobelia is an old fashioned favorite because it can grow in rocks, beds, and border edges. The plant’s bloom time is June, July, and August and is dormant in wintertime. It has a finish time of four weeks, and it forms a clumping habit which forms a lush from the center growing outward.
The plant is commonly known by many names, such as cardinal flower, asthma weed, edging Lobelia, vomit weed, Indian tobacco, and puke weed. Lobelia is a great plant for your home, but it can also grow in landscapes, gardens, and wilds. Lobelia comes in different varieties with different characteristics.
The Different Varieties
The vibrant Lobelia plant grows in many different colors in different species, and the plant grows in different conditions. Each variety has its characteristics and unique features. The most common varieties among the Lobelia plants are the following:
Lobelia Erinus
This variety is also known as trailing Lobelia; this is native to South Africa and is one of the most popular among Lobelia varieties. This variety blooms in early springtime up to the early winter, and it has a striking blue and violet color, and some give a reddish-purple, pink or white flower.
The vibrant original colors may fade in the very hot summer months. The plant can grow up to 9 inches tall and grow well in evenly moist and well-drained soil and an abundance of organic-rich soil nutrients. Organic soil gives the plants the essential nutrients and supports a dynamic balance that keeps the soil from environmental damage.
Lobelia Siphilitica
This variety is also known as great Lobelia or great blue Lobelia. This variety produces lasting flowers on top of its lance-shaped foliage. The flower can fertilize its pollen but needs insects to pollinate it. This flower requires no lavish maintenance and is not inviting to insects and disease.
The flower blooms fully towards the end of summer until mid of fall. This flower stands upright up to 2 to 3 feet and spreads up to 18 inches. This variety is very attractive to add to landscapes planted alongside ponds, streams, and natural gardens.
Lobelia Cardinalis
Lobelia cardinalis bloom with a red flower and with glossy and bright green leaves. This flower blooms in its striking red color during the midsummer with dark-green color leaves. This bellflower is also known as the Cardinal flower with its clump-forming and upright feature. This flower is a low maintenance variety because of its hardy characteristic. This flower has a short-term life but is ideal for growing in well-rich soil under partial to the full sunshade.
Lobelia cardinalis can be cultivated in a nursery in a mossy soil condition; it can also be put in aquariums forming a light-green color shade. The plant is popularly used in Dutch aquariums, wherein its stem can grow only up to 30 centimeters tall and up to 10 centimeters wide. It can grow in both open aquariums and watery surfaces. This variety is also used in garden ponds.
Lobelia Inflata
Lobelia inflata is the medicinal variety among the Lobelia plants. This variety is used for centuries in ceremonial and medicinal use. This plant has an active compound known as lobeline, which helps fight asthma, works against depression and some muscle disorders.
Smoke from burned plants can induce vomiting, improve memory loss and concentration, and help treat drug addiction.
Lobelia cardinalis is also known as Indian tobacco. The plant can be dried and used as tea. At the same time, you can use the flowers, seeds, and leaves in different preparations such as liquid extracts, tablets, and capsules.
Takeaway
Lobelia is a plant that is best grown in your homes, but they are also best planted in landscapes, gardens and can even grow in wilds. The plant comes in several colors in different varieties. Remember to take care of these plants. Once you put in the effort, these small plants will grow into healthy, good looking additions to your surroundings.
