Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)
Perennial
- Bright red flower spikes paired with rich bronze-colored foliage.
- Perfect for boggy areas or wet soils.
- Pollinator magnet, adored by hummingbirds!
- Zones 6-10, sun/part sun, 28" tall x 22" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Common name: Cardinal Flower, Hybrid Lobelia
Zone: 6 – 10
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 22-28″ X 16-22″
Flower color: Red
Foliage color: Green, Brown
Season of interest: Summer
Bloom time: Midsummer, late summer, early fall
Features: Wet soils, rain gardens, native, low flammability, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, deer resistant
Uses: Rock gardens, container gardening, edging, rock garden, small spaces, bog plant, border plant, mass planting, pollinator gardens
How to Grow
Light: Performs best in full to part sun.
Water: Medium to moist.
Spacing: 12 – 24 Inches
Fertilizing: Spring is the best time to fertilize the plants if necessary. Lightly apply an all-purpose garden fertilizer.
Winterizing: Mulch is recommended. If desired, cut back the plant in spring to help protects roots in winter.
Maintenance & pruning: Deadhead spent blooms to enhance the overall appearance and promote reblooming.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
My plants are blooming beautifully after planting a month or 2 ago! I'm especially pleased with how strong and upright they are despite some really hot days and rain storms.
I just love this plant. This is my second one from you. It arrived just fine but now seems to have lost some of the stems. They have turned brown. It’s getting sun and water. Not sure what has happened.
Hello! If you're able, please send clearer photos to [email protected] and our horticulture team can take a look and see what is happening. Happy Gardening!
As always, this company packages your plant orders with a lot of care, these arrived in great condition. I love the color of the foliage and the plants are a really good size for a quart container.
Plant was received in excellent shape even though the temps were very high.I waited several days to plant and it is thriving now. Foliage color alone is a positive addition.
Plants are beautiful
never made it had 2 of this die right away
We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants! Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2026, so we have you covered. Come spring, please send your order number and pictures of your plant to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary. It is common for perennials to appear dead when they're actually just going dormant, but we're hopefull your plant will begin to show promising signs of growth in the spring. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
The plant started blooming with in 1 month of planting them. It has developed a roaming pattern. The red is a beautiful color.
These plants arrived looking great. I have planted them and they are doing wonderful, getting ready to bloom already! Thank you Great Garden Plants!
The plants arrived and were healthy and looked great!
Sadly, my garden was vandalized right after I received my plants, but they were great when they first got here.
All the plants I ordered on line came packaged good. They are thriving now in my garden and I couldn’t be happier! Thank you! I will be ordering from you again!
Not withstanding a few damaged plants during shipment. Quick response and replacement. Great customer service. Plants flourishing. Waiting for blood if our resident doe and her fawn leave them alone. Liquid Fence is great deterrent😊
I don't think I have ever received this order
Our customer service team would love to hear from you. Please contact us with your order number in the subject line, and explain your situation. Our team will be ready to help!
I’m very happy with this plant. It was a great size and was planted according to directions. It has bloomed shortly after I planted it and it is still blooming. Highly recommend this perennial and Great Garden Plants. Excellent company!
Came in very carefully packaged and very healthy. Planted right away (early September) thinking next year I will have blooms. Well I have 1 flower and some buds on it already! Very nice. I have ordered many plants from Great Garden Plants and this is now my go to place for plants.
one of these died
Hello! We're sorry that you had trouble with one of your Cardinal Flowers. Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
None of these are adapted to being planted. Might just be a July thing. They were kept moist, not soaked, and they slowly shriveled over about a week.
Hello! We're sorry to hear about your plant. Cardinal flower can tolerate moisture best in full sun. Part shade plantings can tolerate dryer soil. It's hard to say for certain without more information.
Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
Plants arrived larger than i expected in good shape. Are now aout 2 feet tall and blooming. Beautiful!
I am going to have to wait till next year to give a good review. 1 is doing ok, the other right beside it, not do well.
Hello! Thank you for leaving feedback. You are correct in that it takes time to see desired plant growth. However, please email a photo of the struggling plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
Came looking very healthy and strong. Continues to grow beautifully!!
Great Cardinal Flower with striking dark foilage and great bright red blooms. Looks great in our landscaping.
I received the cardinal plants in healthy condition. All six plants are growing and blooming a beautiful red! Thanks
The most beautiful plant!
Can l grow this in a pot on my deck? Will it come back next year? I live in NC zone 7-8
Yes, you can grow Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower in a pot on your deck! It's compact size makes it an ideal choice for container gardening. It should come back next year with a few extra steps. Check out our gardening blog for tips on how to overwinter container plants:
https://blog.greatgardenplants.com/5-easy-tips-for-protecting-your-potted-plants-this-winter/
Are these plants deer resistant
Yes, cardinal flower is deer-resistant!
Pest a/o disease prone?
Hello! Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower doesn't have any serious insect or disease problems. Add to that its deer resistance and you have a stunning perennial to include in your landscape!
What is the bloom time?
Hello! Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower blooms from midsummer to early fall.
What zone is Sandy Utah
You can find out what zone you're in by going to the "Growing Zone" tab at the top of our site and entering your zip code!