Specimen record
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Conservation note
Collect minimally — populations are often small. Leave the basal rosette intact so the plant can regenerate.
Description
One of the most strikingly colored native wildflowers, cardinal flower produces tall spikes of intensely red tubular flowers along stream banks and in wet meadows. The flowers are perfectly shaped for pollination by ruby-throated hummingbirds. This short-lived perennial persists by forming basal rosettes that overwinter and replace the parent plant. It is uncommon enough that colonies should be left undisturbed.
Identification tips
- 1Brilliant scarlet-red flowers in a tall terminal spike (raceme)
- 2Individual flowers bilaterally symmetric with a protruding staminal column
- 3Lance-shaped, toothed alternate leaves along an unbranched stem
- 4Grows 60–120 cm tall, exclusively in very wet habitats near water
- 5Milky sap in stems when broken
Specimen & preservation notes
Collect sparingly — take a mid-stem section with several flowers from a large colony only. Press flowers in profile to show the distinctive shape. Red color darkens to deep maroon when dried. Blot any milky sap before pressing.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into September.
Flowering records: 497 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 481 observations within 25 km