| Description | Lobelia is a trailing tender perennial usually grown as an annual. Grow in full sun to partial sun. Growing best in the cooler times of the season. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (lo-BEE-li-ah) |
| Plant Type | Perennial Tender, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 9-10 |
| Sunlight | full sun, tolerates a little shade |
| Moisture | When grown in a garden Lobelia requires average water. In containers Lobelia rapidly fills in a pot and needs to be kept moist or the plant will quickly dry up. Doesn't like to be dry but doesn't like to be water logged. |
| Soil & Site | average, well drained, never soggy |
| Growing Media | growing media for containers is best if well drained and moisture retentive |
| Temperature | preforms best in the cooler time of the growing season, slows down in hot weather, although new cultivars are much better in full sun |
| Flowers | fan shaped with two small petals and three broad petals, colors: are blue, white and pink, blue being the most popular, very florific |
| Leaves | narrow, green or bronze |
| Stems | wiry, much branching forming a tangled web |
| Dimensions | no taller than 6 inches, 18-24 inches long, cascading |
| Maintenance | May need a light shear in mid-summer to promote new foliage and flowers. It can be cut back hard if needed. |
| Propagation | Tiny seeds are slow to germinate. I like to seed directly into the final container or a peat type pot, as opposed to seeding in a flat than pricking out |
| Misc Facts | Named after Matthias De L'Obel, an English Botanists. Contains a poison alkaloid called Lobeic acid. |
| Author's Notes | I like to use this plant in pots and baskets. It cascades over the edge and has blue flowers, which can be hard to find. I have found that it needs a moisture retentive, well-drained growing media. Will melt out in hot humid weather with soggy soil. Many of the newer hybrids are much better than the old stand by's. For me, the Techno Heat series has by far been the best the other cultivars all seem to become ragged in the heat. |
| Notes & Reference | #27-Rodale's Annual Gardens (Paul Loewer), #28-Cottage Garden Annuals(Clive Lane), #43-Taylor's Guide to Container Gardening, #109-Annuals and Tender Perennials for North American Gardens (Wayne Winterroud) |
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