Fountain Blue Lobelia
Lobelia erinus 'Fountain Blue'
Height: 10 inches
Spacing: 8 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Description:
Early blooming and heat tolerant, this selection presents lovely azure-blue blooms cascading from rich green foliage; free flowering with a mounded-trailing habit; deadhead to encourage new blooms; a perfect choice for hanging baskets and containers
Ornamental Features
Fountain Blue Lobelia features dainty blue flowers with white eyes at the ends of the stems from mid spring to mid fall. Its tiny narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Fountain Blue Lobelia is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Fountain Blue Lobelia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
- Hanging Baskets
Planting & Growing
Fountain Blue Lobelia will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Fountain Blue Lobelia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
