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Blue Lobelia

Lobelia elongata (loh-BEE-lee-ah ee-lon-GAH-tah)

Family: Campanulaceae Native Herbaceous

Lomgleaf lobelia is a southeastern native wildflower in the bell flower family (Campanulaceae) and can be found in the NC coastal plain along moving water, such as rivers and streams, f loodplain forests, marshes, tidal marshes, bogs and pine savannas. Longleaf lobelia grows up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and is best planted in partial shade in moist to wet, fertile soils. it will spread by offsets. From summer to fall, 10-40 blue to violet flowers per stem appear on terminal spikes that attract a variety of pollinators. The leaves are long and narrow. Leaving the stems help support stem-nesting bees. See this NC Extension article for more information. Use longleaf lobelia in a pollinator, native, rain or water garden. garden. Often used in wetlands to control erosion and for stream restoration and wetland mitigation. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Snails and slugs are sometimes found among the foliage. More information on Lobelia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Lance-shaped to lance-oval green leaves are up to 4 inches long and narrow.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are symmetrical, with a 5-lobed calyx and a 2-lipped 5-lobed corolla. They grow on a narrow, terminal spike and are mostly on one side.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Rounded capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stems are typically unbranched and smooth.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Native to South Atlantic US
Distribution
AL, DE, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, VA
Wildlife value
Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the flowers. Songbirds eat the seeds during fall and winter.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule

Uses (ethnobotany)

A beautiful addition to your garden.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Shade Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#shade garden #shade perennial #pollinator plant #butterfly garden #shade #pollinator garden #hummingbird friendly #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #native perennial #native garden #erosion control #freshwater #NC native #NC Native Pollinator Plant #food source nectar #food source hard mast fruit #wetland #rain garden
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.