Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) is in the bellflower family family (Campanulaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 5,178 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.

Nationally it blooms mainly from August to September, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Great Blue Lobelia: observations by month (U.S.)

About Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica, the great blue lobelia or great lobelia, is a plant species within the family Campanulaceae. It is a herbaceous, perennial dicot native to eastern and central Canada and United States. Growing up to three feet tall, it lives in zones 4 to 9 in moist to wet soils. It produces a spike of zygomorphic flowers in the late summer.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Great Blue Lobelia by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (bellflower family)

Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalis

Tall BellflowerCampanulastrum americanum

Indian tobaccoLobelia inflata

clasping Venus's looking glassTriodanis perfoliata

Creeping BellflowerCampanula rapunculoides

Pale-Spiked LobeliaLobelia spicata

Western HarebellCampanula petiolata

Downy LobeliaLobelia puberula

Photography tips

• Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
• Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
• Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
• Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ