Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Lobelia × speciosa 'Cherry Ripe'

A clump-forming perennial to 90cm, sometimes grown as an annual, with upright stems bearing mid-green, lance-shaped leaves with serrated edges and a bronze flush. Spires of cherry red, two-lipped, tubular flowers are produced from mid- to late summer

Synonyms

Lobelia 'Cherry Ripe'

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Campanulaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten, skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten, skin irritant. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Lobelia can be annuals, perennials or shrubs, with simple leaves and showy 2-lipped flowers that may be solitary or in racemes or panicles
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in deep, fertile, reliably moist soil in full sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut down faded flower spikes in autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to crown rot

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.