Cardinal Flower is a native plant (southwest USA) named for its beautiful scarlet red flowers which are an important nectar source for hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies. Cardinal flower is a showy plant great for the garden or wetland planting.  Cardinal Flower depends on hummingbirds, which feed on the nectar, for pollination.

This native is host plant to the Red-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth (Argyrotaenia velutinana), Dark-Spotted Palthis Moth (Palthis angulalis), and Pink-Washed Looper Moth (Enigmogramma basigera).

They grow best in moist, rich soils in full sun to partial shade. Parent plants will not persist for more than a few years, but it is a prolific self-seeder and fast grower. Best grown in zones 3-9.

The flowering spikes open from the bottom to the top and bloom for several weeks. Cardinal flower typically reaches a mature height of 2 to 4 feet and a spread of 1 to 2 feet. Each flower has three spreading lower petals and two upper petals, all united into a tube at the base. Erect leafy stems, often in clusters, with racemes of flowers resembling flaming red spires. The lower portion of the erect stem is lined with lance-shaped leaves.

Lobelias produce a secondary compound known as "lobeline," which deters herbivores. Considered highly toxic to pets, it contains toxic alkaloids, specifically lobeline, which cause symptoms like severe vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, abdominal pain, and heart rhythm disturbances. All parts of the plant are poisonous, particularly if ingested.