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What is the secret to growing Lobelias? They are gorgeous, but in my garden they seem to disappear. Are they biennial? I just went and bought four different ones, and want to keep them. I know they like water, but that does not seem to be enough. Thank you,
I put them in my hanging pots and window boxes and haven't ever had a problem. I treat them like an annual as I live in zone 5. Try them in a hanging pot with some other things like bacoppa, verbena, and/or bright petunias. I especially like the shades of lobelia in blue and light blue.
I assume you're referring to annual lobelias? they hate the heat, just peter out and die when the temps go up. And it's too bad, because lobelias are really beautiful. I finally stopped buying them because I was just buying heartbreak. If you have some in dappled sun in a cool porch and keep them well watered, I supposed you can keep them going, but it can be a lot of work.
What is the secret to growing Lobelias? They are gorgeous, but in my garden they seem to disappear. Are they biennial? I just went and bought four different ones, and want to keep them. I know they like water, but that does not seem to be enough. Thank you,
If you mean perennial lobelias, then I've had the same problem. I had two LOVELY native lobelia cardinalis. They appeared to do well, and even flowered and set seed. I sprinkled the seed, anticipating abig clump of bright red goodness for years to come...and then no sign of them. That was two years ago.
I also tried a lobelia called Queen Victoria, which I see listed online as lobelia fulgens and lobelia cardinalis. I tried it in moist-ish shade and it languished, so I read up on it and moved it to full sun...where it petered out.
I have read that the native lobelia love very wet soil and possibly more on the acidic side. Perhaps that's the difference. One site I visited says their soil should never dry out...are they a bog plant? I feel you, OP. Having it disappear was disappointing.
I've never had any luck with them either. It may just be too hot in summer. Where I used to live they were in shade and we had acidic soil but they would just fade away, even in pots. Yet I see them around here so someone must be doing something right.
I am going to try to answer some of your questions: I am in the North East. Bought Lobelia Cardinalis, Lobelia Fan Pink, or close to that, and a blue one. All supposed to be perennials. Yes, the first year they came in and were gorgeous! The second year, they came in again. This year all have disappeared! But, I did not know about them liking lots of water, so that could have been it. I water about once, twice per week in the summer, since we do get lots of rain here.
Maybe instead of perennials they are biennials? I just received yesterday, four from Lazy S Farms, they came in just perfect, nice and big, well-packaged, and in excellent condition. Planted them right away, in the best of soil.
Hoping for the best. I am watching these like a hawk watches a bunny!!!! Wish me luck, please!
And to the lady from Seattle, been there, loved the whole state. We traveled throughout the state, north, south, east, and west. A good choice.
I am going to try to answer some of your questions: I am in the North East. Bought Lobelia Cardinalis, Lobelia Fan Pink, or close to that, and a blue one. All supposed to be perennials. Yes, the first year they came in and were gorgeous! The second year, they came in again. This year all have disappeared! But, I did not know about them liking lots of water, so that could have been it. I water about once, twice per week in the summer, since we do get lots of rain here.
Maybe instead of perennials they are biennials? I just received yesterday, four from Lazy S Farms, they came in just perfect, nice and big, well-packaged, and in excellent condition. Planted them right away, in the best of soil.
Hoping for the best. I am watching these like a hawk watches a bunny!!!! Wish me luck, please!
And to the lady from Seattle, been there, loved the whole state. We traveled throughout the state, north, south, east, and west. A good choice.
Lobelia cardinalis can be iffy. I've had trouble with them too. I even got some native blue ones (Giant Blue) and they only lasted two seasons. Natives! I couldn't believe it. I think they prefer morning sun and dappled shade in the afternoon. That was my experience with the hybrid ones I had when we were up north.
Native lobelias and cardinal flowers like to have their feet wet! They grow right beside rapidly running streams, and cardinal flowers do seem to prefer acid conditions. I've seen great clumps of them blooming as close to the creeks as you can get in the Great Smokies, where they receive considerable sun but it never stays very hot for very long. Here in Kentucky, the blue lobelias seem okay with more alkaline soil, but still like it moist, with part-shade. I['ve seen them growing in limestone crevices, beside and below seep springs.
As for the pretty little bright (and light) blue ones that show up in garden centers in the spring, hanging baskets and shady borders seem to be what they enjoy, as long as they get enough to drink and it doesn't get very hot.
Perennial lobelias are not biennial, but if you read most of the plant tags when buying it is should state short lived perennial.. They are not difficult to grow if you put them in the right place to start with. I had mine on and off for many years but at the moment mine are off because of a caterpillar infestation. I'm not sure which one of the many butterflies they were from but they reduced my last one from a beautiful purple-blue blooming, near bush like specimen 3 feet high by nearly the same width to stalks in 2 days last year. I didn't spend that much effort keeping it healthy to feed an army of caterpillars!
Azoria's reference to how well they do in Washington says a lot about their needs, both soil and moisture.
CraigCreek is correct. Despite the many magazine and website claims about it loving bogs it is not a plant that survives sitting in a perpetually wet area. They love moisture and will do well in areas that get wet frequently but only if it drains quickly, too. Don't place them anywhere where the soil is always under water. There natural habitat is stream banks and pond edges, or edges of swamps and bogs, where the soil is very, very rich and the water retention keeps the soil damp but not standing water wet. Mine loved being at the bottom end of one of the partially shaded but steep gardens I have where I keep many of my shade to part shade plants. This garden receives near daily watering in the summer and shade from about 1 PM and the soil is rich and drains well. My old garden they were on the edge of a "dry" stream and woodland garden area, receiving daily watering and morning sun followed by dappled sun for the rest of the day. They did well for about 3 years and then begin to peter out on the fourth. I'd guess average replacement by reseeding or replanting would need to be done every 3 years based on that.
To sum it up.
1) Really good organically enriched soil (compost) on the neutral to acidic side.
2) Partial sun- up to 6 hours, best if it is all morning sun and some protection from the mid afternoon sun
3) Water every day when it does not rain or when rain has not made the soil damp enough all the way down. Do not turn the area into a standing water pond when you water and makes sure there is drainage.
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