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Lobelia cardinalis

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID64402aa533aa3143881482
Scientific name Lobelia cardinalis
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 930 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Ornamental plants of Lobelia cardinalis are widely produced by commercial nurseries for use in garden borders, mixed perennial beds, water‑garden installations, and public‑landscape displays. The species is marketed as a tall, herbaceous perennial with striking scarlet flower spikes, suitable for container gardening and mass plantings. Cut‑flower stems are sold by florists for seasonal bouquets and arrangements because the vivid red racemes provide strong visual contrast in vase work.

Properties relevant to use:
Plants reach 0.8–1.5 m in height and bear dense terminal racemes of tubular scarlet corollas that contain high levels of anthocyanins, responsible for the intense coloration. Blooming occurs from mid‑summer to early autumn in most of its North‑American range, extending the visual interest of plantings during the height of the growing season. It prefers consistently moist to wet soils with good organic content and tolerates partial shade, making it valuable for riparian restoration projects and naturalistic water gardens. The floral architecture attracts hummingbirds, which contributes to its ornamental appeal in wildlife‑focused landscaping.

Standards and regulation:
Commercial production of Lobelia cardinalis conforms to ANSI Z60.1 (American Standard for Nursery Stock), which establishes minimum size, health, and labeling requirements for nursery stock sold in the United States. Interstate and international movement of the species is governed by USDA‑APHIS plant‑health regulations, including phytosanitary certification for pest‑free status and quarantine provisions where required. Plants labeled for organic production must comply with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards for inputs, pest management, and record‑keeping.

Sustainability and sourcing:
The majority of plants sold in the ornamental market are propagated by licensed nurseries through seed or vegetative division, substantially reducing harvest pressure on wild populations. Propagation occurs under controlled greenhouse or nursery conditions using integrated pest‑management and water‑efficient irrigation systems to limit environmental impact. While Lobelia cardinalis can naturalize in favorable habitats, responsible planting guidelines emphasize using locally sourced, provenance‑appropriate material and restricting release to contained garden environments to prevent unintended establishment in non‑native regions.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Lobelia cardinalis f. cordigera (Cav.) Bowden Canad. J. Bot. 60: 2060 (1982)
Lobelia cardinalis f. hispidula (E.Wimm.) Bowden Canad. J. Bot. 60: 2057. 1982
Lobelia cardinalis var. propinqua (Paxton) Bowden Canad. J. Bot. 60: 2060 (1982)
Lobelia cardinalis f. splendens (Willd.) Bowden Canad. J. Bot. 60: 2060. 1982
Lobelia schiedeana Heynh. Nom. Bot. Hort. : 367 (1840)
Lobelia punicea Otto & A.Dietr. Allg. Gartenzeitung 7: 299 (1839)
Lobelia propinqua hort. ex Loudon Suppl. Hort. Brit. 2: 646 (1850)
Lobelia princeps Otto & A.Dietr. Allg. Gartenzeitung 7: 298 (1839)
Lobelia porphyrantha Decne. ex Groenland Rev. Hort. (Paris) , sér. 4, 9: 118 (1860)
Lobelia phyllostachya Engelm. in Wisl. Mem. Tour N. Mexico : 108 (1848)
Lobelia graminea Lam. Encycl. [J. Lamarck & al.] 3(2): 583. 1792 [13 Feb 1792]
Lobelia longifolia (C.Presl) A.DC. Prodr. 7: 382 (1839)
Lobelia kerneri L.A.Nagy Gartenflora 38: 302 (1889)
Lobelia coccinea Stokes Bot. Mat. Med. 1: 343 (1812)
Lobelia cordigera Cav. Icon. 6: 14 (1800)
Lobelia fulgens Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. Hort. Berol. : t. 85 (1809)
Lobelia formosa Roth Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 5: 50. 1819 (1819)
Lobelia texensis Raf. Atlantic J. 1: 176 (1833)
Lobelia splendens Willd. Hort. Berol. [Willdenow] 2(8): t. 86. 1809 [Jan-Jun 1809]
Rapuntium splendens (Willd.) C.Presl Prodr. Monogr. Lobel. : 26 (1836)
Rapuntium coccineum Moench Suppl. Meth. : 277 (1802)
Rapuntium cardinale (L.) Mill. Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 1 (1768)
Rapuntium cordigerum C.Presl Prodr. Monogr. Lobel. : 26 (1836)
Rapuntium gramineum C.Presl Prodr. Monogr. Lobel. : 26 (1836)
Rapuntium fulgens (Hook. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) C.Presl Prodr. Monogr. Lobel. : 26 (1836)
Rapuntium longifolium C.Presl Prodr. Monogr. Lobel. : 26 (1836)
Tupa ignescens Payer Traité Organogén. Fl. : t. 149 (1854)
Lobelia fulgens f. rosea Voss Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 1: 575 1894
Lobelia fulgens var. multiflora Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 14: 263 (1848)
Lobelia fulgens var. propinqua Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 2: 52 (1836)
Lobelia graminea var. intermedia E.Wimm. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 56: 339 (1948)
Lobelia splendens var. atrosanguinea Hook. in Curtis Bot. Mag. 69: t. 4002 (1843)
Lobelia splendens var. fulgens (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) S.Watson Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 110 (1883)
Lobelia splendens var. ignea Hook. in Curtis Bot. Mag. 83: t. 4960 (1857)
Lobelia punicea var. kerneri (L.A.Nagy) E.Wimm. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 56: 339 (1948)
Lobelia cardinalis var. multiflora (Paxton) McVaugh Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 349 (1940)
Lobelia cardinalis var. meridionalis Bowden Canad. J. Genet. Cytol. 2: 241 (1960)
Lobelia fulgens var. pyrimidalis Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 14: 263 (1848)
Lobelia cordigera var. fatalis E.Wimm. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 56: 340 (1948)
Lobelia cardinalis var. pseudosplendens McVaugh Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 348 (1940)
Lobelia cardinalis var. phyllostachya (Engelm.) McVaugh Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 349 (1940)
Lobelia graminea f. kerneri (L.A.Nagy) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. , IV, 276b: 415 (1953)
Lobelia cardinalis var. graminea (Lam.) McVaugh Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 348 (1940)
Lobelia marryattae Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 14: 263 (1848)
Lobelia graminea var. phyllostachya (Engelm.) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. , IV, 276b: 414 (1953)
Lobelia cardinalis var. candida Alph.Wood Amer. Bot. Fl. : 195 (1870)
Lobelia cardinalis var. integerrima Alph.Wood Amer. Bot. Fl. : 195 (1870)
Lobelia cardinalis var. angustifolia Vatke Linnaea 38: 722 (1874)
Lobelia cordigera var. marryattae (Paxton) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. , IV, 276b: 418 (1953)
Lobelia cordigera var. multiflora (Paxton) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. , IV, 276b: 418 (1953)
Lobelia cardinalis var. glandulosa N.Coleman Cat. Fl. Pl. S. Pen. Michigan : 24 (1874)
Lobelia cardinalis subsp. graminea (Lam.) McVaugh Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 347 (1940)
Lobelia cardinalis var. hispidula E.Wimm. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 56: 338 (1948)
Lobelia cardinalis f. rosea H.St.John Rhodora 21: 217 (1920)
Lobelia cardinalis var. texensis (Raf.) Rothr. Rep. U.S. Geogr. Surv., Wheeler 6(Botany): 182 (1878 publ. 1879)
Lobelia cardinalis var. alba J.McNab Edinburgh New Philos. J. 19: 61. 1835
Lobelia cardinalis f. alba (J.McNab) H.St.John Rhodora 21: 218 (1920)
Lobelia fulgens var. glabriuscula Klotzsch ex Walp. Repert. Bot. Syst. 2: 707. 1843
Lobelia splendens f. ignea (Hook.) Voss Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 1: 575 1894
Lobelia fulgens f. atrosanguinea (Hook.) Voss Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 , 1: 575 (1894)
Lobelia cordigera var. pyramidalis (Paxton) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. IV, 276b: 418. 1953
Lobelia fulgens var. marryattiae (Paxton) Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 15: 7. 1849
Lobelia fulgens f. maculata Voss Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 1: 575 1894
Lobelia graminea var. pseudosplendens (McVaugh) E.Wimm. Pflanzenr. IV, 276b: 414. 1953
Dortmanna cardinalis (L.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 380 (1891)
Dortmanna cordigera (Cav.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 972 (1891)
Dortmanna engelmanniana Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 972 (1891)
Dortmanna fulgens (Willd.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 972 (1891)
Dortmanna graminea (Lam.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 972 (1891)
Dortmanna longifolia (C.Presl) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 972 (1891)
Dortmanna phyllostachya Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 973. 1891 [5 Nov 1891]
Dortmanna splendens (Willd.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 973 (1891)
Lobelia cardinalis subsp. cardinalis McVaugh in Woodson & Schery Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 348. 1940
Lobelia ramosa hort. ex Burb. Gard. Chron. , n.s., 15: 105 (1881)
Lobelia ignea Paxton Paxton's Mag. Bot. 6: 247 (1839)
Lobelia mucronata Engelm. Mem. Tour N. Mexico : 108 (1848)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English cardinalflower
English cardinal flower
Arabic لوبيلية كردينالية
Bulgarian пурпурна лобелия
German kardinals-lobelie
German schöne lobelie
Hebrew לובליה אדומה
Indonesian sigarang merah
Japanese ベニバナサワギキョウ
Malayalam ലോബെലിയ കാർഡിനാലിസ്
nv dahiitį́į́hildaaʼígíí
Russian лобелия пурпурная
Thai โลบีเลีย
Turkish kardinal çiçeği
Chinese 紅衣主教花
Chinese 红衣主教花
Chinese 红花山梗菜

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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No forms added yet.

Germination/Propagation Top

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Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment.
Requires Light or Surface Sowing: These seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered with soil or only very lightly. They are often very small and sown directly on the surface of the growing medium.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • New Brunswick
      • Ontario
      • Québec
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Central
      • Mexico Gulf
      • Mexico Northeast
      • Mexico Northwest
      • Mexico Southeast
      • Mexico Southwest
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • Oklahoma
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Colorado
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • New Mexico
      • Texas
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • District Of Columbia
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
    • Southwestern U.S.A.
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Utah
  • Southern America
    • Caribbean
      • Trinidad-Tobago
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panamá
    • Western South America
      • Colombia

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000814269
UNII GT0PJ8MB5R
Florida Plant Atlas 3462
Flora of Alabama 1333
Canadensys 4182
USDA Plants LOCA2
Tropicos 5502376
INPN 630050
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:142115-2
The Plant List kew-352312
Missouri Botanical Garden 278870
Open Tree Of Life 665771
Observations.org 427530
NCBI Taxonomy 76578
Nature Serve 2.153707
IUCN Red List 64317175
IPNI 142115-2
iNaturalist 48038
GBIF 5408269
Freebase /m/0dc8dp
WisFlora 4100
EPPO LOBCA
EOL 577775
Elurikkus 533391
Calflora (Californian flora) 10072
USDA GRIN 22456
Wikipedia Lobelia_cardinalis
Plantarium 49432

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_028566635.1 ASM2856663v1 Scaffold Iridian Genomes 2023-02-09 120 376.57 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Does increasing biodiversity in an urban woodland setting promote positive emotional responses in humans? A stress recovery experiment using 360-degree videos of an urban woodland Farris S, Dempsey N, McEwan K, Hoyle H, Cameron R PLoS One 07-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10849218
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0297179
PMID:38324517
Alternative Crops for the European Tobacco Industry: A Systematic Review Mavroeidis A, Stavropoulos P, Papadopoulos G, Tsela A, Roussis I, Kakabouki I Plants (Basel) 15-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10818552
doi:10.3390/plants13020236
PMID:38256796
Electrogenic sulfur oxidation mediated by cable bacteria and its ecological effects Wang Z, Digel L, Yuan Y, Lu H, Yang Y, Vogt C, Richnow HH, Nielsen LP Environ Sci Ecotechnol 19-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10821171
doi:10.1016/j.ese.2023.100371
PMID:38283867
Latitudinal trends in mating system traits in the highly self‐fertilizing Lobelia inflata revealed by community science Coffey ML, Simons AM Ecol Evol 27-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10682567
doi:10.1002/ece3.10746
PMID:38034331
The most polyphagous insect herbivore? Host plant associations of the Meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) Thompson V, Harkin C, Stewart AJ PLoS One 04-Oct-2023
PMCID:PMC10602594
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291734
PMID:37792900
The influence of climate warming on flowering phenology in relation to historical annual and seasonal temperatures and plant functional traits Geissler C, Davidson A, Niesenbaum RA PeerJ 21-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10124540
doi:10.7717/peerj.15188
PMID:37101791
Developing Multiple Lines of Evidence to Decrease Drainage-to-Surface Area Ratio for Effective Stormwater Control Sizing Using Bioretention O’Connor TP J Sustain Water Built Environ 01-Feb-2023
PMCID:PMC10494893
doi:10.1061/jswbay.0001005
PMID:37701074
Advances in Plant Metabolomics and Its Applications in Stress and Single-Cell Biology Katam R, Lin C, Grant K, Katam CS, Chen S Int J Mol Sci 23-Jun-2022
PMCID:PMC9266571
doi:10.3390/ijms23136985
PMID:35805979
Reinventory of the vascular plants of Mormon Island Crane Meadows after forty years of restoration, invasion, and climate change Caven AJ, Wiese JD Heliyon 03-Jun-2022
PMCID:PMC9192816
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09640
PMID:35711997
Influence of plant reproductive systems on the evolution of hummingbird pollination Abrahamczyk S, Weigend M, Becker K, Dannenberg LS, Eberz J, Atella‐Hödtke N, Steudel B Ecol Evol 17-Feb-2022
PMCID:PMC8853967
doi:10.1002/ece3.8621
PMID:35222976
Duplication and expression patterns of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Campanulaceae Tong J, Knox EB, Morden CW, Cellinese N, Mossolem F, Zubair AS, Howarth DG EvoDevo 06-Feb-2022
PMCID:PMC8819851
doi:10.1186/s13227-021-00189-8
PMID:35125117
Different Metabolic Roles for Alternative Oxidase in Leaves of Palustrine and Terrestrial Species Del-Saz NF, Douthe C, Carriquí M, Ortíz J, Sanhueza C, Rivas-Medina A, McDonald A, Fernie AR, Ribas-Carbo M, Gago J, Florez-Sarasa I, Flexas J Front Plant Sci 04-Nov-2021
PMCID:PMC8600120
doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.752795
PMID:34804092
Target-directed evolution of novel modulators of the dopamine transporter in Lobelia cardinalis hairy root cultures Rogers DT, Pomerleau F, Kelley Z, Brown D, Lynn B, Gerhardt GA, Littleton J J Biotechnol 12-Oct-2021
PMCID:PMC8657075
doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.10.001
PMID:34648893
Flower Color Evolution and the Evidence of Pollinator-Mediated Selection Trunschke J, Lunau K, Pyke GH, Ren ZX, Wang H Front Plant Sci 26-Jul-2021
PMCID:PMC8350172
doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.617851
PMID:34381464
Cable bacteria at oxygen‐releasing roots of aquatic plants: a widespread and diverse plant–microbe association Scholz VV, Martin BC, Meyer R, Schramm A, Fraser MW, Nielsen LP, Kendrick GA, Risgaard‐Petersen N, Burdorf LD, Marshall IP New Phytol 21-May-2021
PMCID:PMC8596878
doi:10.1111/nph.17415
PMID:33891715

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acyl glycosides / Fatty acyl glycosides of mono- and disaccharides
(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-2-(1,7-dihydroxytetradeca-4,12-dien-8,10-diyn-6-yloxy)-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol 126968964 Click to see 396.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00606-0
(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-[(4E,6R,7R,12E)-1,7-dihydroxytetradeca-4,12-dien-8,10-diyn-6-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]methoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol 145865807 Click to see 558.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00606-0
Lobetyolinin 5459227 Click to see 558.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00606-0
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Phenylquinolines
(4aR,5R,6R,7S,8aR)-1-methyl-5,7-diphenyl-6-(2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridin-6-yl)-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2H-quinoline 11914139 Click to see 386.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1139/CJR38B-055
Lobinaline 419029 Click to see 386.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1139/CJR38B-055
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives
(E)-3-[(S)-methylsulfinyl]-N-[(2S)-1-[(E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoyl]pyrrolidin-2-yl]prop-2-enamide 163064027 Click to see 332.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00606-0

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