LOBELIA SPE FAN SCARLET

LOBELIA SPE FAN SCARLET
Grower Notes:

Lobelia × speciosa 'Fan Scarlet' is a celebrated hybrid perennial (a 1995 Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner) known for its vibrant color, compact habit, and extended bloom time. This cultivar features dense, strictly upright spikes of vivid scarlet-red, tubular flowers that rise above attractive foliage from mid-summer well into the fall. Its basal-branching habit forms a neat clump, and its leaves are notable for their bronze to deep red-green color, providing an excellent contrast with the intense blooms. Growing to about 24 inches tall and 14–18 inches wide, 'Fan Scarlet' is a popular choice for adding late-season drama to borders, containers, and wet areas, and is a strong magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies.

'Fan Scarlet' thrives best in full sun to part shade and, like most Cardinal Flowers, requires consistently moist, rich soil; it should never be allowed to dry out and performs exceptionally well in perpetually damp conditions, such as rain gardens or pond edges. While generally adaptable, full sun is tolerated best in northern regions, whereas afternoon shade is appreciated in hotter climates to prevent leaf scorch. Deadheading spent flower spikes can help prolong the magnificent bloom period.