Blue Lobelia Plant

Great blue lobelia for sale here is Lobelia siphilitica, the native perennial with dense spikes of true blue flowers from midsummer into fall. Plants (listed in our store as blue lobelia) ship bare-root in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500 to rain garden builders, pond-edge planters, pollinator beds and wholesale buyers.

Great Blue Lobelia Size, Zones and Sun

Great blue lobelia stands 2 to 4 feet tall on a clump 1 to 2 feet wide, hardy in zones 4 to 9. It's happiest in part sun, but full sun is fine as long as the soil never dries out. Think wet to moist, fertile and loamy, which makes a low spot or rain garden bed a good home.

Great Blue Lobelia Flowers

Tubular, two-lipped flowers in light to deep blue crowd dense spikes from July into October. Blue is scarce in a summer garden, which is much of this plant's appeal.

Great Blue Lobelia and Pollinators

Bumblebees and other long-tongued bees are the main visitors, with butterflies and hummingbirds also stopping by. For other plants that carry a summer bed, our warm-season perennial favorites article has ideas.

Where to Plant Great Blue Lobelia

Rain gardens, pond and stream edges, soggy corners and moist borders are the best spots. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart. Our guide to turning soggy yard areas into planted features shows how to plant a wet area and what else grows there.

Planting Great Blue Lobelia Bare-root

Soak the roots for an hour, set the crown at soil level and firm the soil around it. Water well and keep the bed moist through the first season. A layer of mulch holds moisture, and it should stay off the crown.

Buying Great Blue Lobelia in Bulk

At 18 inches apart a pack of 50 covers about 110 square feet, a bed roughly 10 by 11 feet, and 100 plants cover about 225. Packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500 suit a single bed or a whole rain garden project.

Good to Know About Great Blue Lobelia

Moisture is the one thing to get right, since plants wilt in dry ground, so mulch and water in dry spells. Slugs and snails sometimes chew the leaves. All parts are toxic if eaten. Clumps self-seed and can be divided in spring.

Great Blue Lobelia in Rain Gardens

Because it likes wet feet, great blue lobelia fits a rain garden that fills after storms and dries slowly. Plant it with swamp milkweed, sedges and Joe Pye weed for a bed that stays busy with pollinators from midsummer on.

Great Blue Lobelia Plant Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Great blue lobelia plants ship bare-root in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale perennials for sale.