Common Name:
Cardinal flower
Plant Type:
Deciduous perennial
Family:
Campanulaceae (The Bellflower Family)
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
California Native?:
No

Plant Size:
2 feet high
Landscape/Garden Uses:
flower gardens
Flowering Season:
Summer and fall

Flower Color:
Red
Exposure:
Sun or light shade
Soils:
Most soils

Suggested Irrigation:
Regular watering
Estimated Hardiness:
Hardy to 10 degrees F. or less

This beautiful Mexican perennial closely resembles the cardinal flower (L. cardinalis) of the eastern U.S. It clumps freely at the base, producing compact colonies. Basal leaves are long and tapered, heavily tinged with purplish red. In spring and summer leafy reddish stems rise to 2 feet or more, finally displaying brilliant red flowers up to 2 inches long in late summer and fall. Essentially evergreen in mild winters, otherwise deciduous. Sun or light shade, constant moisture. Hardy to 10 degrees F. or less.