Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Perennial
Shrub
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
South Africa
Types
Herbaceous perennial
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
407
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lakes, Pastures, Prairies, Roadsides, Swamps, Woodlands
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson, Dark Red
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly Drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Insects
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Headache, Rheumatism, Stomach pain
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Medicinal oil, Showy Purposes
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Mixed Border, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
LOBELIA cardinalis
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Cardinal Flower
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Cardinal Flower
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Cardinal Flower
Button Strauch
In French
Cardinal Flower
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Cardinal Flower
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Καρδινάλιος λουλούδι
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Cardinal Flower
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Cardinal Flower
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Cardinalis Flower
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Rubiales
Family
Lobeliaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Lobelia
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Lobelioideae
-
Number of Species
5612
1
27800
👆🏻