Great Blue Lobelia produces striking blue-violet flower spikes along wet stream corridors and meadow edges, blooming in late summer simultaneously with cardinal flower. It was incorrectly believed by early colonists to cure syphilis, hence the species name. Bumblebees are the primary pollinators, squeezing into the two-lipped flowers to reach nectar.
Best time to see a Great Blue Lobelia
The best time to see a Great Blue Lobelia is August–September, when about 89% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 32,501 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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