Lobelia Queen Victoria

Also called cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis Queen Victoria is a very striking plant, quite different from little blue bedding lobelias. It’s a clump-forming, often rather short-lived, herbaceous perennial with beautiful, beetroot-red, oblong leaves. In August and September, and into October, brilliant, five-petalled scarlet flowers appear at the end of stems, a gorgeous colour against the foliage. Lobelia Queen Victoria is wonderful in a tropical planting or a ‘hot’ border, and will also do well in a bog garden, and provides brilliant colour when other late perennials are beginning to go over. Not for colder areas unless it can be overwintered in a greenhouse, Lobelia Queen Victoria holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any deep, fertile, reliably moist, even poorly drained, soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of interest: August, September, October
Hardiness: Borderline hardy
Height: up to 3’ (90cm) Spread: 1’ (30cm)

Aquatic pot and compost variations

Aquatic plants come in a variety of pot and compost variations that have different benefits for planting and growing.

Mesh Pot (Aquatic Compost)
Pot can be removed and plant can be planted directly into soil or margins above or below the water line. Pot and plant can also be placed directly into water to be container grown, but will still need repotting in time.

Pot (Aquatic Compost)
Pot must be removed and plant should be planted directly into soil or margins above or below the water line.

Pot (Regular Compost)
Pot must be removed and plant should be planted directly into soil or margins above the water line. Cannot be planted directly into soil below the water line.