Lobelia
Lobelia: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Lobelias belong to the genus Lobelia, in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. The name includes plants differing greatly in height, life span and habitat. Small edging forms and tall upright perennials share irregular flowers rather than one uniform outline. Two familiar garden examples, Lobelia erinus and Lobelia cardinalis, illustrate this diversity without assuming that their growing patterns are identical.Lobelia erinus comes from southern Africa. It is a small frost-sensitive perennial, often grown as an annual in cooler regions. Selections may form low cushions or long trailing shoots. The leaves are simple and alternate, often more oval towards the base and narrow along the stems. Their small size accompanies fine branching. Some forms show bronze tones in the foliage, adding another feature to the plant beyond its flowers.Its numerous small flowers can be blue, violet, pink or white, often with a pale eye. The corolla has a tube and two lips: the…
