Lobelia should delight your garden with beautiful blooms about mid-summer, continuing on up to the first frost. Although not necessary, you can deadhead lobelia plants to maintain a neat appearance.

What month does lobelia flower?

Flowers: Masses of tiny 2-lipped flowers in shades of blue white, pink, red and purple (depending on variety). Flowering Period: Mid-summer to early autumn (May to October). Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile soil. Sand or loam.

Do lobelia come back year after year?

Lobelia in winter will die back no matter which variety you have. However, the annual Lobelia may not come back at all even if it formed seed. ... The annual forms tend to get weedy when temperatures get hot in summer but can be rejuvenated by cutting the plants back by half.

Why is my lobelia not blooming?

Too Much Heat

It does not like high heat or humidity and may cease flowering during this type of weather. At this point, you can remove your lobelia from its hanging basket and compost or discard it. If, however, you want to try for a fall bloom, prune off the spent flowers and trim the plant back to a tidy form.

How do I get my lobelia to bloom again?

Cut back the entire plant after the initial wave of blossoms begins to fade. Using your pruning shears, cleanly remove the top 1/2 of the entire plant. This heavy pruning early in the summer will encourage the start of another flowering session. Water lobelia plants deeply after heavy pruning to reduce plant shock.

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19 related questions found

How long do lobelia plants last?

High heat can cause lobelia to suffer, but the plants stay in bloom for many weeks in areas with cool nights.

Will lobelia bloom all summer?

The lobelia plant (Lobelia spp.) is an attractive annual herb with many varieties. ... Lobelia is an easy-to-grow, carefree plant that enjoys cool weather. This summertime bloomer will continue to produce flowers on up through the first frost.

Can I cut lobelia back?

Yes. Cutting back lobelia plants improves their appearance and health. It also encourages the plant to produce more flowers over a longer period of time. The three types of pruning that benefit lobelia plants are removing spent flowers, pinching, and cutting back.

Can I plant lobelia in May?

Lobelia has long been the UK's favourite edging plant for summer bedding schemes. ... Lobelia is best planted outside in the UK in late May or early June with the rest of your summer annuals when the risk of frost should be long gone.

Does lobelia do well in pots?

The shape of lobelia makes it an excellent container plant. Depending on the variety it can make a mounding border, or it can spill and trail over the edges. The trailing varieties are especially ideal for window boxes and hanging baskets.

Is lobelia a good house plant?

The profusion of blooms makes growing lobelia in a pot an excellent choice. Deciding to grow lobelia in planters is a great way to ensure the success of this flower. Although these flowering plants are beautiful, they do require some specific growing conditions to truly thrive.

Do slugs like lobelia?

In the United States, another kind of lobelia is a common wild plant, Lobelia cardinalis. ... You can try to grow it in Britain, but it is a choice horticultural plant and a delicacy for slugs who like to gorge on the bottoms of its stems.

How often should I water lobelia?

Careful watering is essential in getting lobelia perennials off to a good start. Water thoroughly at least once a week to help new roots grow down deeply. Soil should be damp at about 1 inch below the soil surface.

Is lobelia a ground cover?

Use Lobelia plants in containers, hanging baskets, edging along the flower garden, and as a general ground cover. ... Blue Lobelia flowers make a beautiful ground cover that performs well in full sun to partial shade. Growing Lobelia Erinus from seed is very rewarding!

How do you keep lobelia blooming all summer?

To extend the blooming period of lobelia in summer or encourage a second bloom, you can trim your plants at any time of the year. This encourages another flush of blooms, maintains their overall look, and some gardeners even prune the plant at half an inch when the blooming period ends.

What does a lobelia plant look like?

The tiny five-petaled flowers bloom in shades of blue, purple, rose, and white, with some accented by white eyes. Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), named for its showy spikes of scarlet-red flowers, is the most popular perennial variety. Some varieties also have ornamental reddish-bronze foliage.

What are the health benefits of lobelia?

Lobelia is often touted for its use in such respiratory conditions as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. This is because the herb is said to act as an expectorant, helping to thin mucus (phlegm), cause a more productive cough, and help you to breathe better.

Is great blue lobelia a perennial?

A North American native that is perfect for the late summer garden, Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia) is a popular, upright perennial which produces long-lasting spikes of bright blue flowers atop a finely-toothed, lance-shaped foliage from late summer to mid fall.

Does lobelia flower all year?

While the annual species are well known for their cheerful displays of spring and summer flowers, the perennials can also make a significant impact in the garden. ... While the annuals offer flowers in white, blue, and pink, the colour range of the perennials is more extensive.

What grows well with lobelia?

Fuchsias, hollyhocks and petunias are just three of the plants hummingbirds like. They are attracted to lobelia as well, so they will get along well next to one another. Other good companions include sweet alyssum, impatiens, and wax begonias.

Is lobelia a perennial in Australia?

There are about 20 species native to Australia, ocurring in all states. All but one (Lobelia alata) are endemic to Australia. Lobelias are usually annual or perennial herbs, often with a milky sap.

Why do my lobelia keep dying?

Lobelias don't care for heat or drought; their transport tissues aren't designed to function under extreme heat so leaves often brown and curl up from the outer edge inward when it's too hot. Lobelia with brown leaves but healthy stems may have been exposed to too much sun or simply not watered enough.