Beautiful Lobelia

By Tito Pontilan

Lobelias are a family of flowering plants whose delicate blossoms remain in bloom for a significant portion of the year.   These blossoms usually start appearing in the latter portion of spring and continue to thrive up to, or even past, the middle of fall.  The blooms of this plant family are about half an inch to three quarters of an inch wide.  They grow in clumps or form trails that range between half a foot and three feet in height.  They are thus favored by many gardeners when creating fine or faint outlines around flower beds, along the edges of lawns, beside foot paths, or as borders of some other part of the garden.

Cultivating this beautiful plant is not really difficult.  It can easily adapt to various types of soil conditions.  So, even if the ground they are planted on is not what is ideal for that particular variety, as long as it has an average amount of moisture in it, Lobelias can still thrive.  Furthermore, they can even flourish in hot weather and full sunlight if provided with partial shade.  They are also not difficult to propagate.  The best way to do so is by the use of seeds planted indoors during the winter months.  Once the last of winter’s frost disappears, they may then be transplanted outside.

There are several species of Lobelia but the most popular ones are the Regatta, the Riviera, and the Moon varieties.  Regattas are trailing plants that bloom heavily and earlier than other varieties by three to four weeks.  Because they do not form grassy centers, this type is ideal for garden borders and hanging baskets.  Rivieras, on the other hand, grow to a height of four to six inches.  Despite this, they are quite compact and heavy blooming.  The Moon variety is considerably more heat resistant than other Lobelias making it capable of blooming profusely from spring up to the very start of winter.

To sum up, Lobelias attract interest not only because their flowers are delicately beautiful.  Their ability to blossom for most of the year plus their proven adaptability to various soil conditions makes them welcome additions to any garden.