Lobelia siphilitica Great Blue Lobelia

Ohio Native Plant Natural Range

To view the natural range of Lobelia siphilitica visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website. Native Plant of the Year - LEAP (Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity) - Native Plant of the Year 2014
Blue Lobelia flanked by five White Lobelias By Roger Dahlin
Lobelias nourish the bees!


Cultivation Information Great Blue Lobelia


Prounced - low - BeaL - ee -AH
Height - 2 to 3 ftBlooms - July - October - This is perfect timing as it Flowers later than Lobelia Carinalis, Cardinal Flower therefore providing similar source of pollen/nectar but later in the fallColor - purple/pinkZone - 3 to 9Sun - Light shade, sunSoil - Moist to wet
Family - Campanulaceae
Notice the long, oblong leaves

Wildlife Significance Lobelia siphilitica

Pollination by - Bumblebees are the most efficient pollinators Bee Visitors searching for either - Pollen or Nectar - Sweet bees (Halictid spp), Yellow-Faced Bees ( Hylaeus spp) Green Sweat Bees (Augochlorini Tribe), Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina spp). Bumblebees also feed on pollen but their main responsibility is pollinating Blue Lobelias!
On Occasion - Hummingbirds and large butterflies, like Monarch Butterflies and Swallowtail Butterflies will stop for dinner. Deer - This plant is not a favorite of deer or small mammals as it contains the chemicals lobeline and lobelanine. Ingesting the leaves of this plant will create symptoms similar to nicotine poising.
For more detailed information visit the Illinois Wildflower website.For detailed information visit the Illinois Wildflower site

Propagation Notes Lobelia siphilitica

Storage - Moist Cold - 60 days - Small Zip lock plastic bag with a few table spoons of moistened vermiculite
Seeds Planted - 2-9-2012Sprouted - 2-18-2012 - Many
Night Temperature - 61 - 63°FDay Temperature - 64 - 65°F - Under florescent lights
Natural light - 3-4-12 - Few hours each day of exposure to sun light
Seed Provenance Great Blue Lobelia
Nodding Onion Gardens - 2012 - presen, Native Bee-Ginnings, Pennsylvania - 2019. Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN - 2010 - 2011