Come July the hummingbirds in my yard add regular visits to the brick red flowers of Lobelia tupa. Perhaps they, like the Andean natives who smoked it, derive some narcotic or analgesic benefits*, or perhaps it just has tasty nectar. Whatever the reason, the hummers seem particularly fond of L. tupa.
Even without the hummingbirds, Lobelia tupa is a plant worth having. It grows 4-5′ tall and during July and August has tubular, flowers that seem to be a mix of red and orange with a hint of pink. In its natve Chile, L. tupa grows in two environments – “somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months” (which begs the question, “What qualifies as REALLY dry?”) and “humid areas with almost constant rainfall.” So clearly these lobelias are easy-going about their watering needs. They like sun. Mine grow well in sandy soil next to a south-facing wall that gets fairly regular water. They have shown no tendency to slump or flop. Cut L. tupa back fairly late in the fall. They are listed as hardy to Zone 8 but mine have survived well through two winters where a lot of other Zone 8 plants bit the dust.
*The whole plant is toxic.
This is one of the few perennials that we grow – nice to see you highlight it as it is not widely grown, at least not around here. We think that the foliage is beautiful – felty, soft green – even before those stunning flowers!
Have you tried L. laxiflora? I did but it died out on me during a cold, wet winter – it’s in a colder area of the yard than the L tupa. I’d definitely pick the L. tupa over the L laxiflora. The blooms are showier, it has those nice leaves that contrast well with the red flowers and the plant as a whole is more stately.