Lobelia Species, Pale Spiked Lobelia, Spiked Lobelia

This plant grows freely along road sides in at the edges of wooded areas here in NC. It self seeds freely and come back stronger every year.

The flowers attract long-tongued bees primarily, including Little Carpenter bees, Miner bees, Mason bees, and Leaf-Cutting bees. Small bu...Read Moretterflies and skippers also visit the flowers occasionally, which are probably less effective at pollination. All of these insects seek nectar. The leaves and stems contain a watery white latex that is toxic, therefore most mammalian herbivores are less likely to eat this plant than others. However, deer appear to be somewhat immune to the effects of the toxins in lobelias. The seeds are too small to be of any interest to birds.

With its smaller pale flowers, Pale-Spiked Lobelia is less showy than some of its better known relatives, such as Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) and Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia), but has better resistance to dry conditions once it becomes established. The flowers of these species all share a similar structure, but vary in their size and color.