About
Lobelia 'Will Scarlett' is a named cultivar in the genus Lobelia (family Campanulaceae), noted for its summer flowering. As with other lobelias, it carries simple, alternate leaves and two-lipped, tubular flowers. In the UK it flowers from June to September. Verify whether this cultivar is a tender or perennial form before winter planning.
About the genus
Lobelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae comprising 444 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions. They are known generally as lobelias.
Wikipedia contributors, "Lobelia", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Lobelia
In the garden
Lobelia 'Will Scarlett' sits within the large Lobelia genus of the Campanulaceae and shares the group's characteristic two-lipped, tubular flowers and simple alternate leaves. The genus includes annuals, perennials and shrubby types across a range of climates, so individual cultivars can differ in frost tolerance and habit. Lobelia 'Will Scarlett' provides a summer display, flowering in the UK from June to September. Treat any Lobelia cultivar according to its specific type: check the label or supplier notes to confirm whether 'Will Scarlett' is a tender bedding form or a perennial selection. That information determines winter care and whether it should be lifted, mulched or treated as an annual. Cultivation decisions such as siting, watering and feeding are best guided by the plant's declared hardiness and exposure requirements rather than assumptions from the genus alone. Where space or purpose requires a reliable summer-flowering block, use the known June–September flowering window of Lobelia 'Will Scarlett' to schedule planting and companion choices. Its summer bloom period makes it useful for planning continuous colour through the warmer months if grouped with plants that extend flowering into autumn.
From the Fenn Plants journal
- Notes on DaffodilsWhen to plant daffodil bulbs in the UK, how deep, how to naturalise them in grass, why daffodils stop flowering (“blindness”), and why you should never mix cut daffodils with other flowers.
- Keeping Your NerveHow to garden through a heatwave — the best time to water, why deep soaks beat daily sprinkles, caring for pots and vulnerable plants, and why you can let the lawn go brown.
- Made to LastHow to clean, store and protect garden pots and planters — the frost-proof vs frost-resistant difference, winter care for terracotta and ceramic, and how to reuse a broken pot.
More in the Lobelia genus
- Hypsela reniformis
- Lobelia 'Queen Victoria'Lobelia
- Lobelia fulgensCardinal Flower
- Lobelia laxiflora var. angustifolianarrow-leaved Sierra Madre lobelia
- Lobelia syphiliticaGreat Blue Lobelia
- Lobelia syphilitica 'Blue Peter'Great Blue Lobelia
- Lobelia tupadevil's tobacco
- Lobelia × vedrariensis
