Lobelia inflata – Native Gardens of Blue Hill

Etymology

Lobelia is Latin, honoring Matthias de l’Obel, (1538-1616), a physician/botanist who worked on a system of plant classification by leaf variety; inflata is from the Latin for swollen

Native Habitat

Open woods and fields.

Garden Uses

The lovely bluish-purple flowers make this plant a sweet addition to the garden. The inflated fruits are interesting after the flowers have faded. It is ideal for ornamental containers, borders and naturalistic landscaping.

Overview

Toxic to humans when ingested, Indian tobacco is a native annual found in open deciduous woodlands, savannas, thickets, areas along woodland paths, powerline clearances in wooded areas, partially shaded seeps, and abandoned fields. It thrives in disturbed areas.

Leaves and Stems

The slightly hairy angular stems are ½' to 2½' tall and more or less erect. The plant is unbranched, or branches occasionally in the upper half. The central stem terminates in a spike-like raceme of flowers that extends to about one-half the length of the plant. The leaves are simple and alternately arranged; they are 2 ½” long and 1” across. The lower surface of the leaf has a few hairs along the major veins.

Flowers

Each raceme has alternate leafy bracts that are similar in appearance to the leaves below, except that they are smaller. A single flower up to 1/3” long develops from the base of each bract on a short petiole. The blue to purple or white flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with five petals, sepals and tepals. They have a cleft upper lip consisting of 2 small lobes and a cleft lower lip consisting of 3 lobes that are somewhat larger.

Fruit/Seed

The fruit is dry and splits open when ripe. The seed capsule contains numerous tiny seeds.

Animal Associates

The nectar of the flowers attracts small bees, mainly halictid bees, and birds. The acrid foliage is highly toxic and avoided by mammalian herbivores, including white-tailed deer.