Lobelia speciosa Starship Blue seeds

Lobelia x speciosa 'Starship Blue' is a perennial plant for moist to wet soil with a highly decorative, long flowering period from summer to autumn in deep violet-blue. It forms superb, elegant, upright spikes that attract pollinators. Very beautiful in borders and near water features, and well-suited to container cultivation, it adapts to full sun as well as partial shade.

Lobelia × speciosa 'Starship Blue' is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Campanulaceae family. Known by the names hybrid lobelia or perennial lobelia, it is the result of cross-breeding between Lobelia cardinalis, Lobelia siphilitica and Lobelia fulgens, all native to North America. These species are naturally found in damp habitats such as riverbanks, marshy areas and wet meadows.

The 'Starship Blue' cultivar was selected for its improved horticultural performance, including earlier flowering and better branching. It is part of the 'Starship' series, developed by PanAmerican Seed, which also includes varieties with red and pink flowers. The hybrid lobelia 'Starship Blue' has an upright and compact habit; the plant forms a dense clump of sturdy stems. It reaches a height of 60 to 80 cm with a spread of 30 to 50 cm in the ground. In a pot, it reaches about 50 cm in height, a size well suited to 5 to 7.5 litre containers. The inflorescences, which appear from June-July to September-October, are composed of tubular, deep violet-blue flowers in dense clusters along the stems. Each flower measures 2 to 3 cm long with a tubular corolla with 5 lobes. The two upper lobes are smaller and upright, while the three lower lobes are wider and spreading, forming a prominent lower lip. Pollination is mainly carried out by butterflies, attracted by the bright colour of the flowers. The medium green leaves are lanceolate, measuring between 5 and 10 cm long. The plant goes dormant during winter and regrows from the base the following spring. A well-protected crown is hardy down to -10 °C at its lowest.

Lobelia speciosa 'Starship Blue' works well in borders where the soil never dries out in summer. It is also perfectly suited to decorating terraces or balconies. To accompany it in a damp and slightly shady spot, choose, for example, Astilbe japonica 'Deutschland', with its airy white panicles and finely cut foliage. Ligularia dentata 'Othello', with its large purple leaves and dark yellow inflorescences, offers a strong architectural contrast. Persicaria bistorta 'Superba' forms generous clumps of green foliage dotted with soft pink flower spikes, from spring to summer. Together, these plants create balanced naturalistic scenes in damp ground.

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 can sometimes contain elements beneficial to germination.