Lobelia fulgens Queen Victoria (Red leaved cardinal flower, Scarlet lobelia)

Lobelia fulgens Queen Victoria (Red leaved cardinal flower, Scarlet lobelia) has leaves which are actually purple, not red, but there’s no arguing that the flowers are red. A fantastic late season splash of colour if you can keep the slugs off! That’s one advantage of placing it on a pond shelf, though it would be happiest in damp ground (if well defended against marauders) as it’s not a true marginal plant and it will not tolerate submersion of stems or leaves. Not generally available until May. If you can afford it, I recommend buying this in pots as it can be difficult to transplant successfully from bare root plants, especially as it gets taller later in the season.

AVAILABILITY:

From April to August, single bare root plants or single P9 pots will not be available mail order. Packs of three P9 pots and various larger potted options may be available all year subject to seasonality.