Lobelia (Lobelia × gerardii 'Vedrariensis')
Lobelia × gerardii 'Vedrariensis' offers stunning purple spikes and thrives in wet areas. Low maintenance perennial Lobelia for Zones 5-9.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ is a vigorous herbaceous perennial, highly valued for its late-season vertical color display in moist landscapes. As a hybrid Lobelia, it combines desirable traits from its parents, offering gardeners sturdy spikes of violet to bright purple flowers from mid-summer well into fall. This variety provides crucial late-season interest, attracting vital wildlife like hummingbirds and butterflies when many other plants have finished blooming.
This particular cultivar, Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’, typically reaches 2 to 4 feet in height, making it an excellent choice for adding height to mixed borders or wetland plantings. Its attraction to pollinators underscores its ecological value, while its relatively low maintenance level appeals to busy gardeners. Achieving success with this Lobelia relies primarily on consistent moisture.
Gardeners seeking reliable summer-to-fall color for rain gardens or pond margins should consider this robust Lobelia. Its dark green foliage serves as a strong backdrop to the bright purple racemes, ensuring visual appeal even before and after the main bloom period.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Campanulaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2-4 ft
- Spread: 1-3 ft
- Bloom Time: July to September
- Bloom Description: Purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium to wet
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ is best done in spring once the danger of frost has passed. Locate it where it receives rich, well-drained soil that remains consistently moist to wet throughout the season. While it tolerates full sun in cooler northern climates, provide part afternoon shade in hotter regions to prevent wilting and conserve moisture during peak summer heat.
Ongoing care focuses heavily on water management. Ensure the soil never dries out, especially for peak performance, although this robust Lobelia handles normal garden moisture levels once established. No heavy fertilizing is typically required when planted in rich soil. Pruning requirements are minimal; deadheading spent flower spikes can promote rebloom, although this hybrid Lobelia usually does not require staking.
For winter protection in the colder reaches of Zones 5, apply a layer of root mulch after the ground freezes. This insulation protects the root system and mitigates damage from freeze-thaw cycles that cause root heaving. In spring, propagation can be achieved through division or tip cuttings taken in the spring.
Landscape Uses
The need for consistent moisture makes Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ indispensable for specific landscape niches. It is highly effective when naturalized along the edges of ponds, streams, or within dedicated water gardens where its root zone can remain damp. Furthermore, it serves excellently as a focal point in rain gardens, absorbing excess runoff while providing fantastic late-season height.
When integrated into traditional borders, use this Lobelia strategically toward the back, considering its mature height of up to four feet. Pair it with plants that appreciate similar moist conditions but offer contrasting textures or bloom times, such as ornamental grasses or Astilbe in shadier locations. Although generally not long-lived, its tendency to self-seed helps maintain presence year after year, or it can be treated as a reliable annual accent.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lobelia × gerardii is a vigorous hybrid lobelia resulting from a cross between L. Cardinalis and L. Siphilitica. The growth habit and flower shape are most similar to L. Cardinalis, featuring dark green foliage that sets off the violet to bright purple flowers blooming on sturdy, upright, spike-like racemes. This hybrid’s breeding work resulted in ‘Vedrariensis,’ which showcases bright purple blooms from mid-summer to early fall, providing valuable late-season color and attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
Tolerances
- Deer
- Wet Soil
Potential Problems
This Lobelia generally presents few serious insect or disease issues, which contributes to its low maintenance rating. The primary concern involves soft-bodied pests; watch for snails and slugs, as they may target and damage the foliage, especially during damp periods. To manage them, apply preventative slug bait or maintain physical barriers if pest pressure is high. While attractive to pollinators, the plant may be short-lived in certain garden settings, necessitating allowing it to self-seed or treating it as a replaceable annual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Lobelia suitable for?
Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ is reliably hardy across USDA Zones 5 through 9.
How large does Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ grow?
This perennial typically reaches a height between 2 and 4 feet, spreading outward to between 1 and 3 feet at maturity.
When does Lobelia bloom?
This specific Lobelia variety provides beautiful color, blooming from July through September, displaying masses of purple flowers.
What sun exposure does Lobelia need?
For best performance, grow Lobelia in full sun, though it will appreciate protection from the harshest afternoon sun when planted in part shade, particularly in warmer climates.
Conclusion
The striking vertical accents and reliable bloom schedule of Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’ make it a must-have for managing wet landscape areas from mid-summer onward. This popular Lobelia hybrid successfully merges vigor with vibrant color, creating significant visual impact without demanding excessive effort. Before planting, always confirm your site offers the consistent moisture required to allow this perennial to thrive.
Companion Planting
When selecting companions for Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis,’ focus on plants that share its cultural preference for consistent moisture. Grouping it with other water-loving perennials creates a cohesive and resilient planting scheme. Consider pairing it with Iris ensata or dense clumps of cardinal flower (L. cardinalis) for textural contrast while maintaining similar requirements.
Other excellent partners include swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) or certain varieties of tall sedges (Carex) that thrive in damp soil near water features. These combinations ensure that the entire grouping benefits from high soil moisture levels, minimizing the risk of the Lobelia drying out during heat waves.
Wildlife Benefits
The late summer and early autumn bloom period of this Lobelia is particularly beneficial for local ecosystems. Hummingbirds are reliably drawn to the tubular, bright flowers of Lobelia × gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’. Its structure offers easy access for long-tongued pollinators.
In addition to attracting hummingbirds, the flowers are magnets for various butterfly species that need nectar sources late in the season as they prepare for migration or overwintering. Planting this hybrid significantly boosts the biodiversity and activity level in your moist garden spaces during the tail end of summer.
