The Cardinal Flower is a native North American plant highly valued for its striking bright red flowers. It is a member of the Campanulaceae family and is known for its tall, upright stems and lance-shaped leaves.
They typically grow 2-4 feet tall and bloom in late summer to early fall. Its deep scarlet red flowers are beautiful to hummingbirds and butterflies.
Where To Grow Cardinal Flower
The plant prefers moist to wet soils and often grows in wetlands, stream banks, and marshes. It is also used in gardens and can be grown in damp or boggy areas.
- The plant is named after the bright red robes Catholics wear.
- The plant is a perennial herb growing up to 4 feet tall.
- Its leaves are lance-shaped and can be up to 8 inches long.
- The plant prefers moist to wet soils and often grows in wetlands, stream banks, and marshes.
- It booms from late summer to early fall, producing showy spikes of bright red flowers attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
- The flowers are tubular, with a three-lobed lower lip and a two-lobed upper lip.
- The plant has a long history of medicinal use by Native American tribes, who used it to treat respiratory problems, fevers, and other ailments.
- It is toxic if ingested and can cause nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
- The plant is also used in traditional medicine as a natural dye, producing a range of shades of red and purple.
Cardinal Flower's Appearance
The Cardinal Flower comes from the Bellflower family of plants. The flowers have three lower petals and two upper petals; all united at the base of the flower. The flower also has a leafy stem, usually in clusters resembling a flaming red spire. The lower part of the erect stem has lanced-shaped leaves going down it. < iv>These flowers are known to be pretty standard but have been limited in supply due to overpacking in some areas. Hummingbirds usually feed on the nectar of the flowers for pollination, while most insects find it difficult to navigate around the long tubular flowers.
Cardinal Flower's Flowers
A perennial herb with autumn foliage characterizes the flowers. They usually have five fused petals together to make up the whole of the flowers. The flowers are primarily red and bloom between May and October.
Where To Find Cardinal Flower
The Cardinal Flower is most commonly found in America and Canada. Also, you will mainly find these plants naturally around ditches, ravines, depressions, woodland edges, openings, stream banks, roadsides, prairies, plains, meadows, pastures, savannahs, near lakes or ponds, as well as swamp areas. These plants will grow with a reasonable amount of moisture and total to partly sunny conditions.
Hardy Planting Zones- 3-9 Mature Height - 3-4' Mature Width- 1-2' Bloom Season - Summer to Fall (July-September) Gardener Status- Novice Soil Type- Any moist.
