Perennials · 1 variety
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
A true-blue late-summer native for moist spots — bumblebees disappear inside the blooms.
- Light
- Sun or part shade
- Height
- 36–48″
- Spread
- 12–18″
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9 hardy here
- Blooms
- Jul–Oct
- Deer
- Usually left alone
- Containers
- Good in pots
- Native
- Minnesota native
- Pets
- Toxic to cats and dogs rated from a related species, Lobelia cardinalis · ASPCA
Carries height — the thriller at the center of a pot or the back of a bed.
The Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia) we grow
We grow the straight species here rather than named cultivars — the plant as it comes, which is usually what you want for pollinators and for anything going into a native planting. Quantities change through the season, so call (763) 742-8774 to check what’s ready.
Growing great blue lobelia in Minnesota
Great blue lobelia is a Minnesota native of wet meadows, stream banks and low spots in the woods. Give it soil that stays moist. It’s one of the few perennials that’s happy in a rain garden, a soggy corner or heavy clay that holds water. In full sun it needs that steady moisture; in part shade it gets by in ordinary garden soil as long as you water it through dry spells.
It blooms late, from late summer into fall, when much of the garden is winding down. Bumblebees push their way inside the blue flowers. Individual plants are fairly short-lived, but they reseed gently, so a patch keeps itself going. In fall, leave the low leafy rosettes uncovered: a heavy layer of mulch over the crown can rot it.
Not the basket lobelia. The trailing blue lobelia in hanging baskets is a different plant, an annual (see Lobelia). Great blue lobelia is an upright, winter-hardy perennial that comes back every year.
Good company in a wet spot:
More perennials
Read next
- Minnesota native plants we grow
- Deer- and rabbit-resistant perennials
- Will it survive a Minnesota winter?
Grown chemical-free in our own seven greenhouses in East Bethel — not trucked in. Come see it in person, or use the plant picker to find what suits your spot.