Lobelia sessilifolia is a wetland wildflower of East Asia, found in Japan, Korea, China, and the Russian Far East; it doesn't grow wild in the United States. In late summer its unbranched stems end in spikes of deep violet, two-lipped flowers. The whole plant contains a toxic compound, so no part of it should be eaten.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial with unbranched stems, usually 1½–3 ft (50–100 cm) tall, spreading from underground stems.
- Leaves
- Narrow, lance-shaped leaves, about ¾–3½ in (2–9 cm) long, with finely toothed edges. They have no stalks and attach directly to the stem.
- Flowers
- Spikes of 8–35 blue-violet flowers, each about 1–1½ in (2.5–3.7 cm) long, with two upper lobes and a three-lobed lower lip.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- wet meadows
- marshes
- pond edges
- Range
- Native from eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East through China, Korea, and Japan. It doesn't grow wild in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- Grows in wet meadows and other wet, open ground; in China it is recorded from sea level up to about 11,000 ft (3,400 m).
Cautions
- Cautions
- Contains , a toxic compound. Don't eat any part of it.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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