If you want to almost immediately attract hummingbirds to your garden, just plant a cardinal flower. The first cardinal flower I ever planted drew hummingbirds in less than 30 minutes, and I was hooked. [See: Bird Watching: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird]
The cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is an herbaceous perennial hardy in zones 3-9. It can grow to be 36-48 inches tall without staking. (There are some varieties, however, that are a bit shorter in stature.) It has bright green lance-shaped leaves topped by a flower spike with bright red blooms. The cardinal flower is a standout in the garden and is particularly impressive when planted en masse. It can be grown in full sun to partial shade. In more southern climates, however, it should be given protection from the hot afternoon sun.
Cardinal flowers need to be planted in very fertile soil amended with extra organic material. They also prefer soil that is a bit acidic. Consider, therefore adding such acidic material as pine needles. [See: Soil Amendments and What They Do] The soil should also be kept moist at all times during the growing season. Cardinal flowers do not tolerate drought at all. If you are lucky enough to have a stream running through your property, plant cardinal flowers along its edge.
You should deadhead your cardinal flowers to extend the blooming. These perennials have a very long blooming period and will produce scarlet-red blooms throughout the summer and into the fall. Cut them back in the late fall and mulch well, especially in the more northern zones, to provide your cardinal flowers with winter protection. Divide about every 2-3 years. Cardinal flowers are not long-lived perennials; however, they do tend to reseed, which means you should always have some of these striking flowers in your garden.
There are various varieties and hybrids of cardinal flowers from which to choose. Following are some in which you might be interested:
‘Dark Cherry’ is a dark-leaved hybrid that needs lots of mulch in the winter and is only semi-hardy.
‘Cranberry Crush’ is another hybrid that grows to 20-24 inches. As the name implies, the blooms are a cranberry color.
‘Flamingo’ is a hybrid with pink blooms and only grows to be about 20 inches tall.
‘Queen Victoria’ (Lobelia fulgens) is the variety that I have. This particular version, which seems to be quite popular, has leaves that are a deep dark greenish-mahogany and bright red blooms.
Apply a complete fertilizer to your cardinal flowers in the spring along with some compost. The only pests that really plaque these flowers are snails and slugs. You should consider adding beer traps or mulching around your cardinal flowers with eggshells and/or coffee grounds.
