Lobelia x speciosa 'Pink Elephant'

About this cultivar:

Lobelia x speciosa 'Pink Elephant' is an upright perennial with green foliage and spikes of pink flowers from mid-summer to early autumn. Like other Lobelia x speciosa types it is ideal for adding colour and vertical interest if a border needs it in late summer when other perennials are starting to fade. Also ideal because it looks great and flowers for a long time.

I have put it down as deciduous and semi evergreen, which is my way of saying it is semi semi evergreen (quarter evergreen?). Basically it will depend on how cold the winter is....

I think this cultivar was introduced from somewhere in Ireland, if you know where - send us a message!

Was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (RHS AGM) in 1997.

• Position: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers: July, August, September
• Other features: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (RHS AGM)
• Hardiness: H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10°C), Fully hardy, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Habit: Clump forming
• Foliage: Deciduous, Semi evergreen
• Height: 75 - 100 cm (2.5 - 3.3 ft)
• Spread: 60 - 90 cm (2 - 3 ft)
• Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Green, pink
• Goes well with: -

About this genus:

Lobelia (lo-be-le-a) is a genus named after the Belgian botanist Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616). It is in the bell-flower family (Campanulaceae) comprising almost 400 species that are distributed worldwide.

Lobelia prefers damp soils and in the wild is often seen growing in boggy places like swamps in sun or part shade. The flowering stalks of Lobelia arise from flat green winter rosettes and provide rich jewel tones of red, pink, blue and more. Lobelia flowers generally begin forming in midsummer on tall stalks and may last into autumn. It is a tough, low maintenance plant which makes it perfect for wet gardens.

According to the Victorian practice of floriography or language of flowers, sending a floral arrangement of Lobelia was a sign of malevolence or ill will. Perhaps that was tied to one of the traditional herbal uses of Lobelia which was to induce vomiting.