Interesting - this is my first year to have Lobelia Cardinalis & I've been very disappointed in them, very few blooms - made sure I kept them watered like the instructions said - maybe I need to let them dry out a bit?
Might be worth a try, if they don't bloom more before winter I won't be planting them next year, will put a known bloomer in their place.

When I first stared growing L. cardinalis I'd read they were very picky plants that needed wet conditions and might or not might survive from one year to the next.

They have done so well at my place that they are becoming invasive and I have to pull them out in order not to be over run with the darn things.

I planted my first one in 2000 it returned in 2001. In 2002 it struggled. In 2003 I barely had any they were hanging on for dear life and one was white. In 2004 it was the best year ever! This has been a good year for them although not as good as last and the white one came back it skipped a year. I found one that I didn't even plant it popped up in the back between a cross vine and native azalea under a pagoda dogwood. Sarah

Thanks for your imput Sarah.
I've read that sometimes perennials take a few years to really get going good so guess that could be the case & I'd think the Texas heat doesn't help.
You gave me a glimmer of hope, I won't give up just yet!

L. cardinalis is a short-lived perennial. It also needs acid soil, in addition to sun and wet feet (in nature it grows along pond shores). I've had no luck with it--I've got alkaline soil. L. syphilitica, its larger, blue cousin, does spectacularly for me. I'm not complaining.

"Short-lived"?! - my original plant is still going strong 6 years after I planted it - and it is the progenitor of all the others in my yard!

L. syphilitica grows next to the L. cardinalis in my garden. I found it about 3 years ago growing on the border of my swamp and last year moved a clump to my garden. From the way it grows in the wild, it seems much better behaved than the cardinalis.

It is a beautiful plant, Elaine.

Could it be short-lived because of the soil conditions Elaine? I have acid soil here and have a hard time growing anything that likes alkaline soil. They'll grow here but peter out eventually. I just figured it was because the soil is not conducive to that particular plants needs.

Certainly I'm not surprised that L. cardinalis didn't do well in my alkaline soil. But I've heard and read it described as short lived. Since I've never known it to stick around, I believed it. L. syphilitica for me is long-lved, and although it doesn't seem to self sow for me, the divisions I take do very well indeed.

I've had "volunteer" cardinal flowers showing up in various parts of the garden too. I'm actually kind of glad. This year it's been very dry and they haven't done as well as they did last summer. The hummingbirds absolutely ADORE cardinal flower. I love watching them 'feed' from it.

A friend of mine planted L. cardinalis with L. syphilitica in a wet area of her yard, and they are both growing like crazy!