Starship Deep Rose Cardinal Flower

• Partial Sun to Full Sun (At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)
• Height 1.5 - 2 Feet
• Width 1 - 2 Feet
• Growing Zones 6-10

This magenta pink lobelia is suspended on dark purple stems above dark green foliage and seems to glow with vibrant color in your part shade to part sun garden. It creates a wonderful contrast to the cool green foliage of other shade loving perennials. It is a versatile perennial, thriving in a woodland edge garden as easily as in a wet meadow or along a stream or pond. Finally gardeners have a colorful plant that loves the moist soil that most plants do poorly in!

Native to Mexico and Central America, lobelia has naturalized in woodland settings and along rivers and bogs across the United States. Primarily a red color, hence the name cardinal lobelia, this beautiful hybrid takes us in another dimension of color with its hot pink blooms. Hardy in Zones 6 to 10, Starship Deep Rose will prefer the hotter summer regions of the country. It is a short-lived perennial that will readily reseed itself if spent flowers are left to produce seeds. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to them and they will tolerate some browsing by deer.

Starship Deep Rose Cardinal Flower Care

With proper care and maintenance and the right habitat, you can grow L. speciosa for many years in your garden. These lovely hybrids have borrowed their parent plants' affinity for wet soils, and preference for light shade, so planting them an area that affords both these conditions will result in years of beautiful color and vigorous growth. Grow them in moist humus rich soil with a slightly acidic pH range for best results although they will tolerate poor or average soils with varying pH ranges, too. They will tolerate some full sun when in wet soils, but must have some shade in the hotter drier regions of its hardiness zones. Fertilize yearly with a general purpose fertilizer if soil nutrient level is not optimal. Keep moist to wet at all times. These plants can survive being briefly flooded, so marginal pond or stream areas make excellent habitat for them.

Deadheading is not required for these long summer blooming plants, but if the plant looks too tired during the hotter months of summer, shear it back ½ to â…” of its volume and it will regenerate with new growth just in time for the cooler fall months. When first transplanted, pinch the stem with the first two leaves to encourage branching and give the plant time to establish its roots. Prune the entire spike to the ground when it is done blooming to encourage repeat blooms. Mulch for the winter with a light layer of good quality mulch to protect the root zone.

Starship Deep Rose Cardinal Flower Spacing

Space your plants about 12 to 24 inches apart. This will allow room for good air circulation, a must in any shaded area plant, and give it room to spread out. Starship Deep Rose will grow to about 24 inches tall and wide when mature. Whether planted in a woodland edge garden, or along a stream or a pond, you will enjoy this bright perennial in your garden this spring.

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