Lobelia
(Perennial, Scarlet Lobelia, Lobelia Fulgens,
Lobelia Cardinalis)
Half Hardy Perennial.
Two to three feet.
Flowers crimson-scarlet, August to November.
A fine bedding-plant, with rosettes or ground
tufts of dark bronze-green or purple leaves, which
throw up spikes of flowers of a velvety scarlet,
a splendid contrast with the foliage.
The older
kind in Lobelia fulgens; newer sorts are Cardinalis
and Queen Victoria, scarlet flowers and deep red
foliage.
There are newer named kinds, such as
Firefly, with large scarlet flowers; Rosea, rose;
and seedlings of various shades of purple, crimson
and pink.
The perennial Lobelias may be raised
from seed sown in a moderate heat about the first
week in March, and brought on with the treatment
proper for half-hardy annuals, being transplanted,
hardened and finally put out in the end of May.
Roots may be bought and planted as soon as the
risk of sharp frosts is past.
The soil should
be deep and loamy if possible; the plants must
always have plenty of moisture, but not water
stagnant at the roots.
The perennial Lobelia is
not quite hardy; a frame and lights put over the
plantations during the winter will generally suffice
to preserve them, but the best plan is to fork
them up in November (breaking the brittle, thong-like
roots as little as possible), and pack them together
with the mould adhering to them in boxes about
five inches deep, with some rough drainage laid
in the bottom.
A little potting-soil should be
worked among the interstices of the roots, and
the boxes must be stored safe from frost.
A “cold”
greenhouse, which by means a stove or coverings
can be kept at 30° in hard weather, is the
best place.
The plants must be kept moist through
the winter.
About May each clump may be carefully
pulled apart, and will furnish two or three plants
for the new season; in this way a large stock
of Lobelia may be obtained in a few years.
Plant
out in groups and large beds; the scarlet tells
magnificently in bold masses; it appears somewhat
late in the season, but in a mild autumn will
afford a rich piece of colour when all the other
scarlets have vanished.
See also : Cardinal
Flower , Annual
Lobelia
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