Lovely Lobelias by A.M.Westerling

 

(Haha yes, I once again have succumbed to my love of alliteration for the title of this blog post!)  

Lobelia is one of our favorite summer annuals for its delicate flowers and tendency to spill over the edge of the containers, particularly hanging pots. The other thing we love about it is its vibrant blue color, especially the Crystal Palace variety. Blue flowers are rare in garden flowers, making up less than 10% of the plant world. As an aside, other blue flowers include blue hydrangea, blue sea holly, blue daisy and Siberian larkspur. However, Lobelia also comes in shades from white through pinks and purples. Sometimes the flowers will have a white dot in the middle. 

 

They are a group of flowering plants that are native to North America. There are more than 400 species that include upright and mounding lobelias, annuals, half-hardy annuals, perennials, and even shrubs and aquatic plants. Considered an annual herb, Lobelia likes full sun but will tolerate part shade. It prefers rich, moist soil.

 

My experience has been that the plants last longer in cool, wet weather. We live in a dry climate so during hot spells, I make sure to water the containers frequently. They don’t always last the entire summer, but we enjoy them while they do. I fertilize every couple of weeks with a 20 20 20 mix. They don’t need deadheading as they are self cleaning. Although I’ve never tried this, apparently you can cut them back by as much as one-half to two-thirds which will spur new growth. If you like bushier plats, you can also pinch them back. 

When filling mixed pots, I always go by the rule of a thriller, a filler and a spiller. I find Lobelia works nicely as both a filler and a spiller. These plants also work as hummingbird havens, in borders, as ground covers, along creeks or ponds and containers, especially hanging baskets. As you can see by the pictures, we really do enjoy the vibrant blues!

I was interested to discover that Lobelia has some health properties and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. It’s also called Indian tobacco because Native Americans once smoked the plant to treat asthma and muscular disorders. It’s also known as pukeweed as it was once prescribed by doctors to induce vomiting although high doses can be fatal. Lobeline, its main ingredient may protect against depression, improve memory and concentration and help treat drug addiction. It can treat symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness and wheezing because the lobeline may relax the airways, clear mucus from the lungs and stimulate breathing. Lobelia may also help with ADHD. However, human research is limited. For more info on the health benefits, check out this website: Lobelia: Benefits, Dosage, and Side Effects (healthline.com) For research, I used the following websites: 

Lobelia – How to Plant, Grow and Care for Lobelia Plants | Garden Design

Growing Lobelia: Tips For Care Of Lobelia (gardeningknowhow.com)

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You can find my books on the BWL Publishing website HERE.  Perhaps some of the miners in Barkerville were treated with Lobelia! Find Barkerville Beginnings HERE.