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I’m not sure how I snapped this photo considering the area behind my cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) is nearly impossible to get to once this particular perennial bed gets going in the summer, but I’m glad I did because it illustrates how freakishly tall my cardinal flowers got last year.
This native wildflower can grow 36 to 48 inches tall, but my plants just never reach those heights because they get so much shade. Also, cardinal flowers like evenly moist soil and we had a drought the previous summer that probably should’ve killed them off if not set them back significantly.
I guess they’re happy in my flowerbeds even with a little abuse. That’s great because I love their flashy red flower stalks and so do all the hummingbirds.