Lobelia × speciosa
Are clump-forming perennials, often grown as annuals or biennials, with basal rosettes of pale to dark green, bronzy, red-flushed or dark red foliage. In summer and early autumn they produce dense, upright spires of two-lipped, tubular flowers in shades of red, pink, purple or blue
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Bronze Red Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue Pink Purple Red | Bronze Red Green | ||
| Autumn | Blue Pink Purple Red | Bronze Red Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Potentially harmful
- Harmful if eaten, skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- Genus
Lobelia can be annuals, perennials or shrubs, with simple leaves and showy 2-lipped flowers that may be solitary or in racemes or panicles
- Name status
Correct
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in deep, fertile, reliably moist soil in full sun or partial shade. Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks until mid-summer and a low nitrogen fertilizer from then on
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown at 15-18°C in late winter, or by division in spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Cut back after flowering
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.