Lobelia is considered a potentially toxic herb. It can cause serious side effects, such as profuse sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, rapid heartbeat, mental confusion, convulsions, hypothermia, coma, and possibly even death.
Are all Lobelia edible?
All parts of the plant are toxic to ingest, especially in large amounts. It is not harmful to come into skin contact with lobelia foliage or flowers. Lobelia contains toxic alkaloids that can cause vomiting, excessive salivation, rapid heartbeat, depression, nasal discharge, and abdominal pain.
Is Lobelia trailing?
Lobelia erinus is a trailing species with masses of purple or blue flowers. It has fine stems and deep green leaves, which are toothed and roughly oval.
Where did lobelias originate?
Data show the genus Lobelia to have originated in southern Africa before undergoing a dramatic cosmopolitan diversification approximately 20 million years ago. Species found their ways to Madagascar and eastern Asia, the Mediterranean, North America, South America and Australia.
Is lobelia toxic to humans? – Related Questions
Why is lobelia toxic?
Lobelia contains a host of toxic alkaloids, including many with structural similarities to nicotine. Overdoses of the plant induce vomiting, sweating, pain, paralysis, low temperature, rapid but feeble pulse, collapse, coma, and even death.
Do lobelia come back every year?
Lobelia cardinalis is a short-lived perennial, so divide it every 2 years in spring to maintain its vigour.
Perennial lobelia.
| Flowering season(s) |
Summer, Autumn |
| Foliage season(s) |
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter |
| Sunlight |
Partial shade, Full sun |
Can you leave lobelia in the ground?
Annual lobelia can be cut back to the ground or removed from containers or the planting site after the first frost. Perennial lobelia will die back at the first frost, dropping leaves and flowers and developing soggy stems. Perennial lobelia can be cut back to the ground at this time and pruned prior to winter.
Should lobelia be deadheaded?
Many of the more compact flowering annual lobelias are considered self-cleaning and do not require deadheading. Lobelia plants can benefit from deadheading, trimming, or occasional cutbacks to rejuvenate fresh growth in the middle of the season.
What do you do with lobelia at the end of the season?
Perennial lobelias
Cut back old flower stems after flowering and trim back the old foliage in autumn. Perennial lobelias, especially Lobelia tupa, may need protection in hard winters – mulch in autumn to protect the crown.
Will lobelia regrow if cut back?
Yes. Cutting back lobelia plants improves their appearance and health. It also encourages the plant to produce more flowers over a longer period of time. The three types of pruning that benefit lobelia plants are removing spent flowers, pinching, and cutting back.
How do you keep lobelia blooming?
Lobelia likes rich, well-drained soil. Don’t let conditions get soggy, however, which can cause root rot. If planting lobelia in a container or hanging basket, a good potting soil will keep this pretty plant blooming all season long.
Is lobelia annual or perennial?
Edging lobelias (Lobelia erinus) and their hybrids are tender perennials grown as warm-weather garden annuals. Often grown as container and edging plants, they can have bushy or trailing habits. The tiny five-petaled flowers bloom in shades of blue, purple, rose, and white, with some accented by white eyes.
Does lobelia like sun or shade?
Like many flowers, container grown lobelia do best when given ample sunlight. In cooler growing zones, this means that the planter should receive at least six hours of sunlight each day.
Is lobelia invasive?
Special characteristics:
non-aggressive – Self-seeds, but not aggressively. non-invasive.
When should I plant lobelia?
Best grown as a half-hardy annual, Lobelia seeds need to be sown under glass between January and April for flowering between August and September. Alternatively, the seeds can be sown outdoors during April and June for flowering the following year.
How fast does lobelia spread?
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: |
Tender perennial grown as an annual |
Blue, pink, purple, white/green |
| Spread: |
8-16 inches |
Asterales |
| Growth Rate: |
Moderate |
Campanulaceae |
| Time to Maturity: |
12-16 weeks from sowing |
Lobelia |
| Water Needs: |
Moderate |
erinus |
Will lobelia survive a frost?
Lobelia can take cool weather but is easily damaged by frost.
Where does lobelia grow best?
Most hardy lobelias are best grown in rich, moist, slightly acid soils in partial shade. They will tolerate full sun in cooler climates as long as the soil does not become too dry. Lobelia siphilitica, Lobelia cardinalis and their hybrids, Lobelia x speciosa, are all well adapted to the wooded edges of streams.
Does lobelia do well in pots?
The shape of lobelia makes it an excellent container plant. Depending on the variety it can make a mounding border, or it can spill and trail over the edges. The trailing varieties are especially ideal for window boxes and hanging baskets.
What do lobelia attract?
The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily hummingbirds, bumblebees and other long-tongued bees. The species name of siphilitica arose from a prior medicinal use of the plant in the treatment of venereal diseases. Native to Chicago Region.
