Wilted Cardinal Flowers

[penny c]

I planted these early summer and they did real well up until the beginning of this month. Now they just wilt and fall to the ground. I know they require a lot of sun and water. I just can not figure out why they wilted like this and seem to be slowly dying. Anyone have any input?

 

[LIcenter]

Just a guess, but could something be chewing on the roots?

 

[penny c]

Would I have to dig them up to figure that out? Or is there another way to check to see if something is chewing on them?

 

[LIcenter]

After doing a quick search it says if you live in a hot climate they need to be planted in a partial shade area. You don't say where you reside, so I cannot say if infact that is your problem. It also says they need a great deal of water. "The soil must be kept moist or wet at all times." It also says they do not do well in the northwest. So the first question is; where abouts do you live?

 

[penny c]

North Carolina. And I have been flooding them since the other night and they are perking up. I am thinking about potting them with a diaper in the bottom to retain moisture and I hope this will fix the problem I just wished the tags ave more info on plants like these :/

 

[LIcenter]

North Carolina. And I have been flooding them since the other night and they are perking up. I am thinking about potting them with a diaper in the bottom to retain moisture and I hope this will fix the problem I just wished the tags ave more info on plants like these :/

Ah, and it's been hotter than heck down there recently! Glad you got a handle on it.

 

[Marck]

To say that Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis and hybrids) needs ample water is almost an understatement. This is a plant that demands bad drainage. Set in a bog. Plant it on the banks of a pond. Grow it in a container sitting in a saucer of water.

...and when Summer comes enjoy the show. Flowers saturated in red like the finest rubies and adored by hummingbirds. There is also a white-flowered form, and hybrid cultivars of Lobelia x speciosa add pinks and purples to the mix. The other parent of Lobelia x speciosa is the blue-flowered Lobelia siphilitica.

Both Lobelia cardinalis and L. siphilitica, in the Lobelia Subfamily (Lobelioideae) of the Bellflower Family (Campanulaceae), are native to eastern Canada, and the eastern, central, & southwestern U.S. The range of Lobelia cardinalis continues farther south into Mexico, Central America, and Colombia.