Fan Blue Cardinal Flower
Lobelia x speciosa 'Fan Blue'
Height: 28 inches
Spacing: 15 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Group/Class: Fan Series
Brand: Benary
Description:
This beautiful variety has striking blue-violet flower spikes that rise above medium green foliage; excellent in the garden or containers; this one maintains great form and is an excellent border planting
Ornamental Features
Fan Blue Cardinal Flower features showy spikes of blue tubular flowers with violet overtones rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which emerge from distinctive deep purple flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Fan Blue Cardinal Flower is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Fan Blue Cardinal Flower is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Fan Blue Cardinal Flower will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
