Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
[C-value
6]
Bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
Blooms August -
mid-October
The beautiful native Great Blue Lobelia is common in our area. It prefers partial to full sun and wet to moist fertile loamy soil. Habitats include soggy meadows, low areas along streams and ponds, swamps and fen. It is a smooth erect perennial growing to 1-4' tall with crowded alternate lance-shaped and toothed leaves up to 5" long and 2" wide. The central stem terminates in a spike-like raceme of flowers about ½-2' long. Each flower has a fancy blue-violet (rarely white) corolla that is narrowly bell-shaped, 1-1½" long and angled upward with 2 lips,. The upper lip has 2 slender erect lobes that curve backward, while the lower lip has 3 drooping lobes.
Great Blue Lobelia at Subat Forest Preserve August 14, 2013
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Great Blue Lobelia at Harris Forest Preserve August 20, 2013
Great Blue Lobelia foliage at Harris Forest Preserve August 20, 2013
Great Blue Lobelia fall seedheads at Lyon Forest Preserve fen October 31, 2014
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