Known for its intensely red, tubular flowers, Cardinal Flower is one of the most striking native wildflowers in North America.
The flower’s shape and color are specially adapted for hummingbird pollination, though butterflies and long-tongued bees may visit too.
Plants are often short-lived (3–4 years), but they self-sow readily, ensuring populations persist in the right conditions.
While beautiful, it contains alkaloids that make it toxic if ingested in large amounts—historically, Indigenous peoples used it carefully for medicine.
The Cardinal Flower is the state wildflower of New Jersey, recognized for its dazzling color and ecological importance.
Known for its intensely red, tubular flowers, Cardinal Flower is one of the most striking native wildflowers in North America.
The flower’s shape and color are specially adapted for hummingbird pollination, though butterflies and long-tongued bees may visit too.
Plants are often short-lived (3–4 years), but they self-sow readily, ensuring populations persist in the right conditions.
While beautiful, it contains alkaloids that make it toxic if ingested in large amounts—historically, Indigenous peoples used it carefully for medicine.
The Cardinal Flower is the state wildflower of New Jersey, recognized for its dazzling color and ecological importance.
Bloom: late summer to early fall
Habitats: borders of ponds; ditches; edges of small marshes; gravelly seeps and springs; openings in floodplains and bottomland woodlands; prairie swales; soggy meadows along rivers and streams; wet prairies
Lifespan: perennial
Moisture: wet to moist
Plant type (height): forb (2 to 3.5 feet)
Requirements: full sun to light shade
Soil: gravel; loam; sand (should contain some organic matter to retain moisture)
