Cardinal Flower

Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District

Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis [C-value 7]
Bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
Blooms mid-July - September

The native Cardinal Flower is uncommon in our area. It prefers light shade to full sun and wet to moist loamy or gravely soil having organic matter to retain moisture. Habitats include wet prairies, openings in floodplain and bottomland woodlands, soggy meadows along streams and borders of ponds. This regal perennial is usually 2–3½' tall, unbranched, with a hairy stem. The alternate leaves up to 6" long and 1½" across are rough-textured, lance-shaped and coarsely toothed. The stem terminates in a spike-like raceme, ½–1½' long, of showy scarlet red flowers. The flowers are 1–1½" long and ¾–1" across. The red corolla of each narrow tubular flower terminates in grayish white reproductive organs nodding downward. Beneath this are 2 narrow lateral lobes and a 3-lobed lower lip.

Cardinal Flower at Harris Forest Preserve August 20, 2013

Cardinal Flower at Harris Forest Preserve September 12, 2013

Cardinal Flower foliage at Harris Forest Preserve August 20, 2013

Cardinal Flower at Harris Forest Preserve September 12, 2013

Cardinal Flower is named after Catholic cardinals' red vestments color. Native Americans used the root to heal intestinal ailments, worms, epilepsy, typhoid, cramps, and syphilis. Leaf tea was used for cold, bronchial problems, croup, nosebleed, fever, headache, and rheumatism. A poultice of the roots has been used on hard to heal sores and applied to the head to relieve the pain of headache and some tribes smoked the dried leaves as a substitute for tobacco. As a member of the Lobelia family, it is considered to be potentially toxic, sometimes called “vomitweed” or “pokeweed”, and its sap has been known to cause skin irritation. Reminder: see Do Not Disturb Notice.

Click here for more information.

Back to index page

Back to K.C.F.P. home page