Cardinal Flower

Member of Bluebell Family

Blooms: May - December

I had previously posted a red flower which I thought was the wild Cardinal Flower, it was not. I found this in the edge of the woods today. Such a beautiful plant. Click to see it's vivid color and detail.

Cardinal Flower usually does not grow over 3 ft. tall. It loves damp, rich soils with semishaded areas. It can be found along wet ditches, damp woodlands and edges of creeks. This is the first one I have seen in years. It is rare in our area. I was excited to find it.

Cardinal flower is a favorite of hummingbirds, which visit the plants frequently and are their major pollinators. The entire plant contains alkaloids, and while the leaves were used medicinally and for smoking by Indians, many deaths of early settlers occured through overdose or misuse of the plant derivatives. It was said that the Indians would get a real "high" from smoking this plant's dried leaves, causing them to halluceinate and have violent behavior.

"Having good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in CHRIST. For it is better, if the will of GOD be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing."

I Peter 3:16-17