This is it, the high season for nectar-rich native plants in the mid-Atlantic region. August. When the butterflies drink constantly and the hummingbirds are gearing up for the long haul southward.
The diva of the show is Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), with its brilliant red spires that reach out of the shady or wet areas of the forest like cathedrals. The hummingbirds can't resist this one. They fight over the flowers at the side of my porch all day long.
A lot of people think that lobelia is hard to grow in average urban gardens. The trick is in the shade to moisture ratio; the more sun you have, the more water this plant will demand. If you have dense shade with very rich dry soil, you can grow this plant. If you have wet sunny areas, you might be able to grow a small amount, but the soil would need to be wet constantly to the point where the plant would have wet feet almost year round.
In my yard, this one grows near a down spout, where the soil is rich and loamy but dry. No sun ever shines in this spot. The cardinal flower sits and waits all summer until its moment of glory arrives with the dog days of August. And then, wow, sit back and enjoy the fireworks and the hummingbirds.
One more note: anyone who lives in the Sligo Creek area of Montgomery County, MD can see some of this in bloom near the manufactured wetland area near the intersection of Forest Glen Road and Sligo Creek Parkway. On the hiker biker path, near the small playground north of Forest Glen, go over the bridge and look to your right. Incredible. (By the way, those wetlands on the left hold a surprising abundance of wildlife --- we've been watching snapping turtles there all year.)
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