| SUN | SOIL MOISTURE | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
4' |
| BLOOM | USDA ZONES | BLOOM COLOR |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Cardinal Flower is a stunning native perennial known for its brilliant scarlet-red flower spikes that bloom from midsummer into early fall. The tubular blossoms rise above deep green foliage and are arranged along tall, upright stems, creating a dramatic vertical accent in wetlands, streambanks, and moist meadows. Its vivid color and elegant form make it one of the most striking wildflowers in North America. Showy, moisture-loving, and ecologically vital, Cardinal Flower brings unmatched intensity to wet native landscapes.
Overall height at 2–4 feet.
Cardinal Flower serves as a host plant for several native moth larvae, and while butterfly use is limited, species associated with wetland habitats may occur where it grows. No butterfly species are confirmed to use Cardinal Flower as a primary caterpillar host, though butterflies such as the Northern Pearly-eye, Enodia anthedon, and the Little Wood Satyr, Megisto cymela, may be found in the same moist, shaded environments. Its nectar-rich, tubular flowers are especially important to hummingbirds, which are its primary pollinators, and they also attract bumblebees, long-tongued bees, and pollinating flies.
Historical accounts note that plants like Cardinal Flower were used by Indigenous peoples in traditional medicinal and ceremonial contexts, including poultices and infusions. These uses reflect cultural tradition rather than modern medical guidance and should be understood as historical context rather than recommendation.
Cardinal Flower provides exceptional wildlife value by supporting hummingbirds, feeding pollinators, and enriching the ecological diversity of wetlands, rain gardens, and streamside plantings. Its vivid blooms, moisture tolerance, and ecological importance make it a key species for sustaining beneficial wildlife in wet native landscapes.
| Unreported | |
 | Unreported (Absent for area) |
| Native | |
 | Native in state (NA Native and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Native in state and Present in county (NA Native and Present in state, and Present in county) |
 | Rare in state and Present in county (NA Native and Rare in state, and Present in county) |
 | Extirpated/Historic in state/Native (NA Native and Reported in county) |
 | Adventive or Introduced state (NA Native and Adventive in state, and Present in county) |
| Exotic Occurrences | |
 | Exotic in state (Exotic and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Exotic in state and Present in county (Exotic and Present in state, and Present in county) |
| Other | |
 | Noxious in state (Noxious in state, and Present in county) |
 | Questionable Presence (cross-hatched) |
Cardinal Flower grows best in full sun to partial shade and prefers medium to wet soils, thriving especially in loamy, silty, or organic-rich sites with consistent moisture. It tolerates shallow standing water and performs well in rain gardens, pond edges, and wet meadows, though it struggles in soils that dry out completely. The plant forms upright clumps and may self-seed lightly in suitable conditions, helping it persist in naturalized plantings.
Please note that Riverside Native Perennials (RNP) only ships our potted “35” product via USPS. We generally can have your plants boxed up and ready to go within two or three days. All other products including our flat of plugs, 1-gallon and 3-gallon containers are only available for nursery pick up in Delaware, OH. For large orders of any of our products we can arrange shipping at an extra cost. Please contact the nursery for additional information.
It’s important to note that when we send plants to you, presentation is everything! We recognize that you’re expecting healthy plants to arrive safely on your doorstep ready to be planted and that is what we’re selling. Further, we want you to know that while we are a fully licensed and inspected perennial nursery in the state of Ohio…we are in Ohio! That means we are subject to Ohio weather. The average frost-free date for our area is May 15. So even though you may live in Florida or California your plants are growing under Ohio conditions and we do not heat our greenhouses due to the expense. Our plants may be slightly delayed but again it’s because we’re in a Zone 5 area. Because we ship nationwide, we ship plants at all times of the year. If it’s winter in Ohio, you’ll be getting dormant plants. If it’s spring or summer in Ohio, you’ll be getting plants of various sizes that are actively growing. Plants shipped during fall in Ohio may be dormant or may be heading towards dormancy. This is all natural and we do not try to modify or prolong the growing season other than to grow them in an unheated greenhouse. Even in an unheated greenhouse our plants are much further along and growing well early in the spring than if they were planted outside in Zone 5. If you would like additional information about sizes for a particular species, please contact us via email.
In 2021 RNP partnered with a shipping professional to design and develop a shipping system that could reasonably be expected to survive the USPS mail room and transportation process. After several design sessions and going back to the drawing board on more than a couple of occasions we created a shipping box system that, to us, is bulletproof. It is strong, lightweight and, to date, has not failed in shipping nearly 150 packages of plants to all corners of the country.
Once selected from our greenhouse benches, your plants are placed into a small plastic bag to maintain moisture during shipping. To keep the soil in the pot we created a cardboard insert that perfectly fits into the top of our 35 containers. The insert has a cutout that surrounds to plant stem without damaging it. The plastic bag and insert are secured by two rubber bands. Each bagged plant is then placed into an individual corrugated cardboard box which perfectly fits the 35 container, and which locks it in place so that it will not move during transit. Four individual boxes are then placed into another, even heavier duty corrugated cardboard master shipping box. The whole effect is that of double boxing your plants. They are safe and secure for the long trip to your home landscape!
The system only works with 4 individual boxes being packed into a single master shipping box so we encourage you to buy four plants or a multiple of four plants. You can buy less than four plants but we will need to send all the cardboard for four plants in order for the shipping system to succeed as designed.
