I purchased this plant about 20 years ago The tag at the
time said cardinal flower. Well
it's not Lobelia cardinalis . I have never found it in any
of my books. I took it to the State fair last year. And
none of the master gardeners could identify it. I worked
there every day and only once did a fair patron give a
name for it they said it was Alaskan fire weed. Well I
looked that name up And that was wrong also.
It is a biennial with fine fern like basal growth and a long tap root ,
only growing about 3" tall by 3" wide . The first year.
The second year it puts out the flower. Height from 3 to 5
feet tall . It begins its bloom about mid July,
starting with the bottom buds. The bloom period is
for about 1 month.
