red woodland flower growing in mud

19 years ago

Haven't come into the digital age yet. However, was poking around in the woods behind our property with the kids, frog hunting. A creek bed runs thru the area where some parts are muddy creek 'bed' and then stretches of shallow water. I see two plants growing along the side or wall within the mud or muck of the creek bed, and I'm sure when we get rains it gets its feet quite wet if not underwater. It has fire engine red flowers. Its just 2 or 3 flowers on each 2 foot stem. The flower resembles a red tube or piece of straw about 3/4 of an inch, going straight up, and then, between 3 and 5 daisy like red petals (skinny daisy petals) dangle down from under the tubular part. Any ideas of what it might be? The leaves of the plant are long and skinny, not at all shiney. I think the plant was a single stem.

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Comments (7)

sam_md
19 years ago
You found Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis. It is perennial and likes wet areas. Whenever we see Cardinal Flower in bloom, hummingbirds are not far away!
Sam
sarahbn
19 years ago
Is this what it looks like? Sarah

Here is a link that might be useful:
Flowerkitty
19 years ago
Sounds like cardinal flower. I planted two in my wet area. They did nothing until mid summer, where they put up 3 foot stems with blinding red blooms. The red is so bright it stands out from 300 feet. Just a great plant. I have just identified lobelia siphilitica, or blue cardinal flower on my property. I could not find photos to do it justice, but mine are a deep, brilliant blue

Here is a link that might be useful: blue cardinal flower
karen64
Original Author
19 years ago
Thank you for id-ing the cardinal flower growing in the creek bed! I did indeed see it from far away, had to go investigate. Its so bright against everything else back there, pretty cool. Now I want to check everything else that I might find growing out there! Stay tuned, hah! Thank you everyone : )
joepyeweed
19 years ago
the red in those flowers is awe inspiring - there are very few reds in nature that can compare.... check that same area in spring... i would bet you will find some other great treasures...
windstorm86
19 years ago
They sure are pretty. I found one growing down by the river and it is now growing by my well. It is forming little clusters of new plants at the base. First time I have seen one.
fairy_toadmother
19 years ago
i am jealous. i hve yet to see it growing wild.