A New Discovery

In keeping with my retirement vow of paying closer attention to the natural world that surrounds me I stumbled-upon this stunning flower returning from the daily walk with the girls.

Meet Lobelia siphilitica – Great Blue Lobelia – a member of the bellflower family.   

Characterized by bright, dark blue flowers that appear in late summer and early fall - lobelia often grows in colonies located in wet prairies, openings in forest bottomland, soggy meadows, marshes, edges of ponds, creeks, swamps or wet pastures. 

We stumbled-upon this patch growing on the north edge of our backyard rain garden.  We didn’t plant it so Jill suggested that it found its way here by means of traveling on duck feet.  Plenty of damp clay soil here – perfect.    

The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, ruby-throated hummingbirds and large butterflies.  Deer avoid it as a consequence of the foliage containing toxic alkaloids that can cause a reaction similar to nicotine poisoning.  

What an attractive bonus wildflower this is.

click on images for a closer look