Light
Full sun with steady moisture, or part shade where summers are hot.
Growing guide · Perennials
Lobelia cardinalis 'Black Truffle'
How to grow Cardinal Flower 'Black Truffle'.
Red flowers. Dark leaves. Hummingbirds on call.
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Water
- High
- Zones
- 4–9
- Size
- 3–4 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 12–18 in. apart.
- Pets
- Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
Water
Keep it consistently moist. It's at home in rain gardens and by ponds.
Planting and soil
Plant in spring in rich, moist soil, crown right at the surface.
Feeding
Compost in spring.
Pruning
Cut spent spikes for more side shoots. Leave the basal rosette uncovered over winter.
Through the year
Dark leaves in spring. Flowers July into September. Rosettes over winter.
If something's off
Short-lived in dry soil or when the crown is smothered by leaves or mulch. Cardinal flower is toxic to people and pets if eaten.
Plays well with
Plant it with friends.
Why we stock it: The native hummingbird plant, with foliage dark enough to make the red pop.
Grows wild in 31 states (USDA PLANTS records). Hummingbirds work the flowers.
That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.
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Kits with Cardinal Flower 'Black Truffle'.
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Cardinal Flower 'Black Truffle'from $32.99 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
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What to plant this week in your zone, every Sunday. New ways to plant and odd tricks that actually work.
Sunday's tip is written for your zone: what to plant this week, and a kit that fits.Set your zone and Sunday's tip gets specific: what to plant this week, and a kit that fits.
Patio pot kit
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Forty square feet, big opinions.
4 plants · $165.92In a pot, any zone
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Everything in it tastes terrible to deer.
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Office kit
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Three small plants, one desk.
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Drought garden kit
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For the slope the hose doesn't reach.
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Pollinator garden kit
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Open seating for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
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Shade garden kit
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For the spot the sun forgot.
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Pick it, eat it, walk away.
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