Lobelia cardinalis

Lobelias are characterized by tall spikes of stunningly red flowers in late summer to early fall. While the species plant is hardy to USDA hardiness zone 3, the most attractive Lobelia cultivars, with dark stems and bronzish foliage are typically less hardy, and will not reliably come back each year. Indeed, Lobelias seem to have a fairly short life as a perennial, rarely surviving more than 2-3 seasons in our garden. ‘Fan Scarlet’ is a zone 5 rated bronze-leafed cultivar with scarlet red flowers, and has survived several seasons in our garden. Deer will readily browse Lobelias if precautions are not taken.