Brilliant red blooms · Late-summer color · Hummingbird favorite
Growing conditions
Sun: Part shade to full sun (afternoon shade appreciated in hot summers)
Soil: Average to rich, medium to wet soils; prefers consistently moist conditions
Plant details
Size: ~2–4 ft tall × 1–2 ft wide
Blooms: Vivid red flower spikes from midsummer into early fall
Deer resistant: Moderate
Why we love it
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Some of the most brilliant red you'll find in a native garden, on tall, dramatic flower spikes
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Thrives in consistently moist soil, making it a natural fit for rain gardens and pond or stream edges
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Blooms late in the season, adding fresh color just as many earlier perennials begin to fade
Why wildlife loves it
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Brilliant red, tubular flowers are especially well suited to hummingbird pollination
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Its late-season nectar provides an important food source for hummingbirds during the period when Ruby-throated Hummingbirds begin their southbound migration
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Nectar also draws swallowtails and other butterflies
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Leaves serve as food for the caterpillars of the Pink-washed Looper Moth
Fun to see
Watch a hummingbird visit the flowers and look closely at the top of its head. As it reaches deep into the tubular bloom for nectar, the flower's reproductive structures brush against the bird, transferring pollen that can be carried to the next Cardinal Flower it visits.
What to expect at pickup
Ground covers and ferns are sold as young, well rooted plugs. Shrubs are sold in 1 gallon containers.
Because this is a fall collection, some plants may have limited foliage or may be beginning to enter dormancy at pickup. This is a normal seasonal change. Their roots are healthy and ready to establish after planting.
Before you order
All orders are for pickup at the Montclair Farmers Market.
• Choose your pickup Saturday at checkout
• Orders must be picked up on that date
• Plants are living and may vary in appearance
• All sales are final once plants are picked up
• Please check your plants at pickup — we can only address issues at that time
