Great blue lobelia prefers wet woods and clearings. It is native to central and eastern Canada and
the United States. Cultivars are popular with gardeners.
Plants: Usually unbranched, 1½-5′ (50-152 cm) in height.
Leaves: Leaves are oval to oblong, and 3-4½″ (7.6-12 cm) long, shorter near the top.
Flowers: Tubular blue or white flowers grow from leaf axils up the stem, and in a large spike at the top. Each flower is ½-1½″ (1.3-3.8 cm)
in size, and consists
of an upper lip with two segments, and a lower lip with three. Flowers appear from Aug-Sep.
Edibility: Poisonous . Although not intensely
poisonous, lobelia contains lobeline, which is
similar in nicotine in its effects on the nervous system.