August 16, 2009 - Blue & Red

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Two showy wildflowers are blooming now. One is red, the other blue. Each has its blossoms arranged on spiky flowerheads that rise up to three feet above the ground. Both grow in moist soils in and near forested areas often along streams or wet meadows. Both belong to the lobelia family. Each has somewhat tubular flowers designed for different pollinators. Great lobelia’s blue blossoms with white stripes are more attractive to bumblebees that are their primary pollinators. Cardinal flower is its red cousin. Red is rare in native wildflowers. These scarlet blossoms are more inviting to hummingbirds and butterflies than bees. This divergence in flower color in two similar plants highlights nature’s ability to utilize every possible niche or role within the environment. Both attract critters for pollination, but each has a different appeal.
 
This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.