Lobelia

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Lobelia is a sun-loving flowering plant, not a houseplant – the grower confirms it is unsuited to indoor growing. This trailing lobelia is a low, mounding/trailing plant, superb in hanging baskets and container edges. It excels in containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets on a sunny balcony or patio.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Moderate – a pot, box, or basket that keeps the roots cool and evenly moist
• Indoor Suitability: Not a houseplant; grow outdoors
• Best Spot: Full sun to half shade (a little afternoon shade helps in hot climates)
• Soil & Drainage: Rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining mix
• Watering in Pots: Average – keep evenly moist; lobelia sulks if it dries out, and pots dry fast

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Not for indoors: The grower marks it as unsuitable as a houseplant; it needs outdoor light and cool, moist air to flower well.
• Season: Many lobelias are grown as annuals or short-lived perennials; where perennial, protect the pot from winter wet.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & moisture: Give it a bright spot with a little shade from harsh midday sun; keep it well watered, as pots and baskets dry quickly and it dislikes drought.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: Choose a pot a size or two larger than the root ball, with strong drainage holes; skip a standing water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster, while glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: A well-aerated, organic-rich mix – a quality potting mix, or peat/coir blended with perlite or vermiculite.
• Feeding: Potted plants need feeding more often than those in open ground, as frequent watering leaches nutrients away – feed lightly through the growing season.
• Repotting: Refresh the mix or pot up about every two years; for perennials, lightly trim the root ball and top growth at the same time.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring, summer and autumn
• Flower Appearance: Small two-lipped flowers (three lower lobes, two upper) in blue, purple, red, orange, white or pink
• Edibility: Toxic – Lobelia contains lobeline and related alkaloids; not edible

Detailed Blooming Overview

Lobelia carries masses of small, two-lipped flowers – three lobes forming a lower lip and two up top – so each bloom has the look of a little flying insect or a small cone. Colours range across blue, purple, red, orange, white and pink, and the plant flowers over a long season from spring into autumn. Red-flowered types are particularly good at drawing hummingbirds and other pollinators. All parts contain toxic alkaloids, so the flowers are for show, not eating.

Flower Characteristics

• Small and two-lipped (three lower lobes, two upper)
• Blue, purple, red, orange, white or pink
• Produced in profusion over a long season

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Deadheading: Shearing or trimming spent flowers keeps trailing and bedding types blooming for longer.
• Pollination: Worked by bees; red forms also attract hummingbirds.
• Safety: Keep the plant away from children and pets, as it is toxic if eaten.