# great blue lobelia (*Lobelia siphilitica*) The great blue lobelia is a beautiful flower with bright blue petals. It grows tall and loves to bloom in late summer, making gardens look colorful and cheerful. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![great blue lobelia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lobelia_siphilitica_Botanical_Garden_Heidelberg_2.JPG&width=800) Photo: Nemracc, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lobelia_siphilitica_Botanical_Garden_Heidelberg_2.JPG) ## Appearance The great blue lobelia has striking, deep blue-purple flowers arranged in tall, dense spikes. Each blossom is tubular with two distinct lips, and its green, lance-shaped leaves are often toothed, creating a vibrant contrast. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Campanulaceae - **Genus:** Lobelia ## Interesting facts - Its scientific name, 'siphilitica', hints at its past use in traditional medicine! - Native Americans once used this plant to help treat many different ailments. - Sometimes, hummingbirds will drink nectar from its blue flowers, not just red ones! - The tiny seeds of this lobelia are so small, a single plant can make thousands! ## Special abilities - **Bog Boss:** Great blue lobelia can grow in waterlogged soil because its roots are adapted to low oxygen environments, helping it survive in wetlands. - **Bee Beguiler:** This plant has a unique flower shape that guides long-tongued bees to its nectar, ensuring efficient pollination and seed production. - **Chemical Shield:** Great blue lobelia produces special compounds that can deter herbivores from eating it, protecting its leaves and flowers. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-120 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — drinks nectar and moves pollen - **Pollinates:** [Eastern Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — sips nectar from the tubular flowers - **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — visits flowers for a sugary treat ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify great blue lobelia? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is great blue lobelia? 30-120 cm ### How wide does great blue lobelia spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on great blue lobelia? 2-3 cm ### When does great blue lobelia bloom? Late summer to fall ### Is great blue lobelia edible? No ### Is great blue lobelia toxic? Moderate ### What is great blue lobelia's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Kal-Haven Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kal-haven-trail) — Michigan, US · Trail - [Pointe Mouillee State Game Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pointe-mouillee-state-game-area) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Assinins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/assinins) — Michigan, US · Neighborhood - [Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bat-cave-and-cascade-caverns-state-nature-preserves) — Kentucky, US · Nature Reserve - [Golden Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/golden-hill-historic-district) — Indiana, US · Historic District [View all places to see great blue lobelia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-blue-lobelia) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Great Blue Lobelia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-blue-lobelia)