Cardinal Flower

A red wildflower to go with a red house:

Cardinal flower

This year I've planted several Cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) in the Red House Garden, and they are thriving in a very wet low spot that I have.

These native wildflowers grow naturally near ponds and stream beds - they like moisture.  Down here in the South, they also appreciate some shade, though they can take more sun farther north.

This flower grows from 2 to 4 feet tall, and the blooms last quite a long time, slowly unfurling their plume of many scarlet-colored, tubular flowers.

They usually just have one long terminal spike at the end, but I seem to also have an odd branching one.

Another beautiful thing about Cardinal flowers  - they are pollinated by and attract hummingbirds.

peering through my window at a Hummingbird and Cardinal Flower

I honestly haven't seen very many hummingbirds near my Cardinal flowers, though, and it took me a few days to figure out why.  I finally realized that all the hummingbirds were swarming around one of the previous wildflowers I have blogged about (and thought was a weed at first) - my wild Monarda.  I guess we now know which one is wins the hummingbird taste-test!

Hummingbird and Monarda

I do think that the Cardinal flower wins in the looks department, though!

To learn more about our native wildflowers from other garden bloggers, visit Wildflower Wednesday over at the site Clay and Limestone!