There are many, many native perennial flowers that I LOVE, but at the top of the list is cardinal flower(Lobelia cardinalis) Do you know this gorgeous red flower that often grows naturally in wetlands, beside ponds or along creeks and rivers? It is a flower that loves having “wet feet,” but you can easily grow it in your garden, even if it won’t have its roots in water.
Cardinal flower is a hummingbird magnet! The tiny birds love this flower and will regularly visit it to drink its sweet nectar. Hummingbird moths and butterflies are also attracted to this flower, which grows best in full sun and can be 3-4 feet tall.
If you’re interested in buying some cardinal flower, or other great native perennials (like Milkweed, goldenrod, agastache, and more) that will attract butterflies, bees, and other insects, check out these venues coming in September. My friend Kim from Milkweed Meadows Farms will be there selling many great native plants. Maybe we’ll see you there!
Buy great native perennials, including cardinal flower, at the following locations in western NC:
Sunday September 4, 12 PM – 3 PM
Sunday Brunch Market
Sideways Farm & Brewery, 62 Eade Rd., Etowah, NC
Saturday, September 10
Hendersonville Farmers Market
Historic Train Depot, 650 Maple St., Hendersonville, NC
Friday and Saturday, September 16-17, 10 AM – 3 PM
Fall Plant Sale & Vendor Market
The North Carolina Arboretum ($16 parking fee), 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC
Saturday, September 24, 11 AM – 3 PM
Fall Plant Sale/ Mountain Monarch Festival
Gorges State Park, Lake Toxaway, NC This celebration will include a fundraiser plant sale (milkweed plants for $5) to benefit the Symbolic Monarch Migration program. A special guest from Mexico named Estela will be there talking about the monarchs in Mexico and leading a craft featuring monarch butterflies.
I hear that they are great volunteers as well.
Yes, I did hear that the volunteers at Kim’s tent are the best!