Lobelia speciosa Fan Scarlet (coated seeds)

Lobelia speciosa ‘Fan Scarlet’ is a remarkable perennial plant for moist to wet soil, featuring bronze-purple foliage adorned with long spikes of scarlet flowers from summer until the first frosts. This particularly decorative, robust and floriferous variety from the ‘Fan’ series adapts perfectly to sunny or lightly shaded areas of the garden, especially along pond edges, woodland margins, or in fresh container displays on a terrace.

Lobelia speciosa encompasses a group of hybrids resulting from cross-breeding between several North American species, including Lobelia cardinalis, Lobelia fulgens, and Lobelia siphilitica. These species grow naturally in damp areas, along streams, or in floodplain meadows.
This cross-breeding has given rise to several cultivars, including the ‘Fan’ series, developed by Kieft Seeds, a Dutch company specialising in perennial selection for floriculture. The ‘Fan Scarlet’ cultivar, also marketed as 'Fan Scharlach', is characterised by its scarlet-red flowering, coloured foliage, branched growth, and excellent garden performance. Its hardiness ranges from -5 to -10 °C depending on the soil type.

Lobelia speciosa ‘Fan Scarlet’ forms an upright, dense, and well-structured clump. It reaches 60-70 cm in height and 25-30 cm in spread. The plant first forms a rosette of basal lanceolate, toothed leaves, then develops sturdy, erect, slightly hairy stems. The alternate leaves are longer at the base and shorten as they ascend towards the inflorescences. Their colour evolves from purple to bronze-purple. Flowering extends from July to September-October. At the stem tips, spikes of tubular flowers appear, arranged spirally along the stems. Each 2-3 cm long flower opens into two lips curved outward. Their colour is an extremely vivid red. This flowering is highly attractive to pollinating insects. The above-ground growth is deciduous: it dies back in autumn and regrows from the crown the following spring. Although typically grown as a perennial, this Lobelia can sometimes behave as a biennial or short-lived perennial, but it self-sows moderately if conditions are favourable.

Lobelia speciosa ‘Fan Scarlet’ is an excellent plant for enlivening borders in moist ground and damp areas of the garden. It is equally suited to summer container compositions and urban landscaping schemes. Planted along pond edges or at woodland margins, it draws the eye. Pair it, for example, with Rodgersia podophylla, whose lush foliage creates a textural contrast. It also pairs wonderfully with Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Blackfield’, with its carmine-red spikes, or with a fern such as Dryopteris erythrosora for a touch of delicacy and lightness in fresh woodland settings. Farfugium japonicum, with its broad, glossy, and highly decorative foliage, also makes an excellent companion for Lobelia speciosa ‘Fan Scarlet’.

Coated seeds are seeds surrounded by a thin protective layer, composed of clay, nutrients, or a natural binder. This process facilitates their handling, particularly for very small seeds like those of lobelia, by making them larger and more regular. The coating also improves sowing precision, promotes more uniform germination, and may sometimes contain elements beneficial to sprouting.