Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

violet bells-shaped flowers on vertical great blue lobelia
“Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)” by Per Verdonk, via Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0.
several great blue lobelia plants with violet bell-shapes flowers
“DSC_2784” by Anne McCormack, via Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Ecological Benefits: supports a variety of bee species, food for Pink-Washed Looper Moth larvae, seeds feed weevils

Bloom period: late summer-midfall

Best Areas for Planting: mid- to high moisture, partial sun, organic matter-rich soils

Natural Habitat: can be found in floodplain forests, sloped forests, moist areas, low roadsides

Most of the species information is from The Virginia Native Plant Society website, which offers free, extensive pdfs for each region of Virginia, highlighting about 100 native species (there are many more!) and helpful additional information for planning personal projects. If you aren’t from Virginia, you can search for similar resources in your state! To explore other resources and advice, navigate to the guidance page.

Visit the homepage to explore other sites and learn more about native plants.