Cardinal Flower Maryland. On the eastern shore cardinal flower has been observed blooming in open freshwater marshes. Finely toothed lance shaped leaves grow to 4 inches in length.
The red cardinal flower known by the botanical name lobelia cardinalis prefers moist damp soils. Few native plants. The cardinal flower has small red tubular flowers with two lips and three lobes.
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly nectars on cardinal flower.
The long corollas of the inflorescence make it difficult for most insects to use the flowers as a nectar source. It is the flower whose color resembles that of a different bird cardinal flower lobelia cardinalis. Wet woods and meadows throughout maryland. Native to missouri it thrives from southeastern canada across the eastern half of the united states into the southwest mexico and central america.
