Lobellia laxiflora is a star among any landscape situations, but you almost never see it. What a shame it is not in everybody’s garden, and even used in parks, plazas, etc. Drought tolerance is quite a bonus with this plant as it comes from the southwest, not like so many of the bog area water thirsy other species of lobellia. This is a long lived perennial and graceful too. Slender stems arise from narrow foliage forming clumps. The stems top with open clusters of orange yellow and red tube flowers. Much visited by hummingbirds due to the nectare within. This plant will love growing in full hot sun (water it in the early years to get it well established) then you can just about forget it as it will take care of itself. Frosts may kill it back to the ground, but it will come back next spring. (Do use wire baskets for gopher protection however, just in case, and you may also want to use a small tent of wire to protect it from rabbits if you have those visitors.) What you get for this effort is an almost continuous blooming plant, loaded with flowers from spring to frost(all winter in mild areas!) and hummingbirds will visit it FREQUENTLY. This type of lower plant fits into many garden situations. Containers are another wonderful use and just back of an edging in any sunny planting will make it stand out. (if you use some of the colorful foliage low plants, you will have a colorful display almost all year. (use heucheras, hakonechloas, dwarf hostas, smaller salvias, small/short succulents, etc.) A particulalry nice combination is Aloe ‘Johnsons Hybrid’ which is a small fine textured succulent and another almost nonstop bloomer, with the same cultural needs. sun, almost no water when established – but you can water more if you wish and that will yield more blossoms as well. This will give you bright orange nodding trumpets topping short upright clusters.
Another succulent type plant to use is Calendrinia spectabilis with magenta purple cups atop stems to 2ft +
wonderful and easy care, plant them, water them, and forget them. Nice at ends of driveways for easy care color., where color will attact attention and add to the curb appeal of any house!