Lobelia erinus
A compact annual with upright and trailing forms, 0–1 ft tall and 1–2 ft spread, that produces blue, pink, purple, or white blooms from spring to fall and is ideal for edging beds, containers, hanging baskets, and rockeries, with a trailing habit of masses of small blue to purple flowers, native to southern Africa, in the Campanulaceae family, and attractive to pollinators.
Common Names
Edging Lobelia, Trailing Lobelia, Garden Lobelia, Lobelia, Blue Lobelia
Summary
Trailing lobelia is native to southern Africa and appears in trailing and upright forms, typically 4–9 inches tall with an 8–16 inch spread. It bears masses of small blue to violet flowers, often with a white or yellow eye, in colors blue, violet, pink, purple, or white, set against fine, spreading foliage; blooms from summer into autumn and attracts butterflies.
Frost-sensitive and usually grown as an annual outside warm zones; prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, with soil kept evenly moist; propagation mainly by seed; regular feeding every two weeks; pruning after flowering encourages new growth; trailing forms suit hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers, while upright forms are well-suited for edging and borders; widely used in beds, borders, and cascading displays.
Lifecycle
Annual; perennial in frost-free regions; otherwise grown as an annual.
Height
4-9 inches
Spread
6-12 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10-11
Sunlight Requirements
Full Sun to Partial Shade; Full Sun in cooler climates, Partial Shade in hotter climates.
Soil Type
Well-drained, fertile loamy soil that is organically rich, moist, and slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5–6.5).
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
5.5–8.0, Slightly acidic to neutral
Bloom Color
Blue to violet, with white, pink, purple, red, mauve, and lavender
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer, Fall
Foliage Color
Bronze, Bronze-tinged, Bronzed to green-burgundy (otherwise medium to dark green), Brown/Copper Green, Green (most varieties; a few bronze-tinted leaves), Light green foliage, Pale foliage
Fall Foliage Color
Bronze to brown
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 932 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Genus
- Lobelia
Synonyms
Lobelia algoensis Lobelia acutangula Lobelia candida Lobelia chilawana Lobelia bicolor Lobelia wildii Lobelia bellidifolia Lobelia benguellensis Lobelia schrankii Lobelia senegalensis Lobelia melsetteria Lobelia montaguensis Lobelia parvifolia Lobelia polyodon Lobelia turgida Lobelia lavendulacea Lobelia jugosa Lobelia kohautiana Lobelia keilhackii Lobelia erinoides Lobelia lydenburgensis Lobelia dortmanni Lobelia erinifolia Lobelia rosulata Lobelia transvaalensis Lobelia nuda Lobelia natalensis Lobelia oranjensis Lobelia nuzana Monopsis conspicua Rapuntium erinus Rapuntium erinoides Rapuntium bellidifolium Rapuntium bicolor Rapuntium procumbens Rapuntium kohautianum Rapuntium krebsianum Lobelia erinus var. gracilis Monopsis debilis var. conspicua Monopsis simplex var. conspicua Lobelia erinus var. bellidifolia Dortmanna erinus var. bellidifolia Lobelia erinus var. schrankii Lobelia procumbens Lobelia filiformis var. natalensis Lobelia erinus var. bracteolata Lobelia erinus var. grandiflora Lobelia pubescens var. simplex Dortmanna debilis var. natalensis Lobelia nuda var. rosulata Lobelia senegalensis var. turgida Lobelia rosulata f. hirtella Lobelia nuda f. hirtella Lobelia erinus f. elata Lobelia erinus var. subvillosa Lobelia filiformis f. albiflora Lobelia filiformis f. multipilis Lobelia wildii var. arcana Dortmanna erinodes Dortmanna flexuosa Dortmanna senegalensis Grammatotheca erinoides Lobelia erinoides Lobelia erinus var. grandiflora Lobelia senegalensis var. senegalensis Lobelia bellidifolia Lobelia altimontis Lobelia bracteolata Laurentia erinoides Lobelia raridentata Lobelia trierarchi Rapuntium acutangulum Lobelia erinus f. bicolor Lobelia natalensis var. subulifolia Lobelia turgida var. peteri Lobelia filiformis f. muzandazora Dortmanna erinus Dortmanna lavendulacea Enchysia erinoides Lobelia filiformis var. filiformis