Rose Princess Cardinal Flower
Lobelia x speciosa 'Rose Princess'
Plant Height: 18 inches
Flower Height: 24 inches
Spacing: 18 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 7a
Description:
This beautiful variety has striking deep rose flower spikes that rise above shiny deep green foliage with copper overtones; excellent in a dappled sunlight garden or containers; this one maintains a great form and is an excellent border planting
Ornamental Features
Rose Princess Cardinal Flower features showy spikes of rose tubular flowers rising above the foliage from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated pointy leaves remain dark green in color with hints of coppery-bronze throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Rose Princess Cardinal Flower is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Rose Princess Cardinal Flower is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Rose Princess Cardinal Flower will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 20 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.