Quick Answer: Does Trailing Lobelia Come Back Every Year?

The trailing lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is the plant most commonly found growing along the edge of the flower bed. It may be treated as a perennial or an annual plant, depending on the climate of the location in which it is grown. With perfect growing conditions, it will grow year after year.

Will trailing lobelia come back next year?

Lobelia in winter will die back no matter which variety you have. However, the annual Lobelia may not come back at all even if it formed seed. But it is easy to plant from seed in controlled situations. Perennial plants will die back but, if given proper care, should flourish anew when temperatures warm up.

How do I get my lobelia back?

Give the plant a light trim with a pair of scissors when it needs a bit of tidying. This includes trimming to remove spent blossoms. For spiky types, wait until the entire spike has faded before clipping out the stems. Cut back the plant by half or more at the end of its bloom period.

Is trailing lobelia Hardy?

Habit: Clump/dome forming, low growing and trailing forms. Type: Half-hardy perennial, usually grown in the UK as a half-hardy annual. Hardiness: Half-hardy, protect from frost.

Can lobelia overwinter?

Unlike its perennial cousins, annual lobelia dies back completely in the winter, though some types may grow from seed in the spring. Many annual lobelias are cold-tolerant and will survive longer into late fall or early winter than other types of annual flowers, but frost will kill them.

Can you plant trailing lobelia in the ground?

Lobelia seeds can be sown directly in the garden or indoors for later transplanting. These plants typically require an area with full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They also prefer moist, rich soil. After all danger of frost is gone and the plants are at least 2 to 3 inches (5-7.5 cm.)

When can I buy trailing lobelia?

Usually, it is sold in a six-pack bedding tray and available for the public to purchase sometime in April. But lobelia shouldn’t be planted then as there is the danger that a frost could kill this tender annual plant off before the season has already started.

How do you revive annual lobelia?

In this case, take the basket down and immerse it in a tub of water that’s large enough to contain the whole thing and leave it there to soak for a few hours. The plant will slowly absorb water from the bottom of the container.

How long do lobelia plants last?

High heat can cause lobelia to suffer, but the plants stay in bloom for many weeks in areas with cool nights.

Do Lobelias trail?

Lobelia trails beautifully from a hanging basket. The shape of lobelia makes it an excellent container plant. Depending on the variety it can make a mounding border, or it can spill and trail over the edges. The trailing varieties are especially ideal for window boxes and hanging baskets.

What varieties of lobelia are trailing?

The Trailing Lobelia varieties are hanging plants: “Cascade Mix”: Mixture of blue, white and purple flowers; the shoots are up to 15.74 inches long. “Sapphire”: dark blue flowers with white eyes; the shoots are up to 19.68 inches long. “Richardii”: Flowers in light blue; the shoots are up to 39.37 inches long.

Do lobelia plants spread?

Lobelia is a small plant that generally grows to heights no taller than 10 inches. Bush types spread only five to nine inches, but trailing varieties expand as much as 1 1/2 feet.

How do you winterize lobelia?

Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of mulch over the root zone. Too much moisture can kill lobelia during the winter months, so only water it when the soil feels dry beneath the surface. Stop fertilizing lobelia plants in late summer to give any new growth a chance to harden off before the first frost.

Is great blue lobelia a perennial?

A North American native that is perfect for the late summer garden, Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia) is a popular, upright perennial which produces long-lasting spikes of bright blue flowers atop a finely-toothed, lance-shaped foliage from late summer to mid fall.

What does it mean if a plant is a perennial?

Perennial Plants Perennials are plants that can live for three or more growing seasons (oftentimes, especially in St. Louis, bulbs must be planted in autumn to produce spring-blooming plants).