Lobelia spicata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- loh-BEE-lee-a spih-KAH-tah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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This is an erect, annual or perennial herbs; leaves alternate, simple; flowers white, scarlet, or blue, 5-parted, tubular and irregular-shaped with 2 lips; fruit a capsule.
It blooms summer into fall
The foliage consists of 1 to 3.5 in. lance-shaped or narrowly ovate, nearly toothless, light green basal leaves with a simple stem that is densely downy toward the base but smooth above
The flower is an elongated, slender spike-like cluster of small pale purplish-blue to bluish-white flowers; two narrow lobes above and three wider lobes below that form a lip
They are often found in meadows, fields, thickets, and in dry sandy soil or in the forest or natural area, in moist woods and fields, the edge of streams; in the landscape, in flower gardens, cultivated herbaceous annuals and perennials
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Lobelia
- Species:
- spicata
- Family:
- Campanulaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Wildflower
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
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Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- fruit is a capsule
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- flowers white, scarlet, or blue, 5-parted, tubular and irregular-shaped with 2 lips
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- nearly toothless, light green basal leaves
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- simple stem is densely downy toward the base but smooth above
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, exhaustion and weakness, dilation of pupils, convulsions, and coma
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Alkaloids lobelamine, lobeline, and others, plus a volatile oil
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
