Lobelia spicata (Pale-spike Lobelia)
Also known as: | |
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Genus: | Lobelia |
Family: | Lobeliaceae (Lobelia) |
Life cycle: | perennial |
Origin: | native |
Habitat: | part shade, sun; wet meadows, prairies, open woods |
Bloom season: | June - August |
Plant height: | 1 to 2 feet |
Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: FAC MW: FAC NCNE: FAC |
MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | ![]() |
National distribution (click map to enlarge): | ![]() |
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Detailed Information
Flower:
Flowers are sparsely to densely packed in a spike-like raceme that can grow over a foot long over time. Individual flowers are about ½ inch across, pale blue to white, tubular with 2 small upper lobes that are bent back and 3 larger lower lobes that are similar in size. All lobes have pointed tips. There are 2 yellowish spots at the base of the lower lobes, and a dark blue stigma that sits between the 2 upper lobes. One plant has a single spike.
Leaves and stem:
Leaves are primarily in the lower half of the plant. Those near the base of the plant are spatula shaped to oval with rounded tips, to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, with little or no stalk.
Leaves become smaller and more widely spaced as they ascend the stem. Those at the top may only be about ½ inch long. All leaves may have small teeth around the edges, or be toothless, sparsely hairy or hairless. The main stem is angled, with 4 or 5 edges.
Notes:
As Pale-spike Lobelia grows taller, it can bend and twist as if struggling to stay erect. The stems are a bit delicate, so it probably is. The Lobelia genus was once in its own Lobeliaceae family, then was moved to the Campanulaceae (Bellflower) family but is now back in Lobeliaceae. There are 2 varieties in Minnesota: var. spicata is mostly hairless, var. hirtella is mostly roughly hairy.
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More photos
Photos by K. Chayka taken at Rice Creek Trail Regional Park, Ramsey County, and Wild River State Park, Chisago County. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Anoka County.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2011-09-05 21:20:55
I found some plants growing in native prairie last summer in Meeker Co. I marked them with tape to come back later to collect seed but just before they were ripe the county ditch mower person mowed them all down.
on: 2016-02-01 01:06:27
Three plants on the side of a hillock. Haven't noticed it in the park before but 2015 was a perfect weather spring/summer. Also saw a Turk's Cap lily 2 ft away (until a deer or person took it 2 days later) and it's the only place in park where the coreopsis grows each year so maybe good soil or location.
on: 2016-06-29 15:35:15
Cute little things.
on: 2017-07-12 12:51:20
I found one of these dainty little things for the first time yesterday July 11...to small of a target for my smart phone camera to focus on...found it by the Fringed Orchids.
on: 2020-07-18 18:58:52
I found a few of these in my small remnant. I don't think I planted them, but they could have been a contaminant in a seed mix. I had a hard time finding this plant at your site. It does not show up in a search of white flowers with spike clusters.
on: 2021-08-09 11:30:31
Unless there is a very similar looking species, I found this growing in an old field near Barrows, MN in Crow Wing County which isn't on the MN County list. Would submitting to Bell Museum help get it added?
on: 2021-08-09 17:02:33
Thomas, yes, the best way to get the distribution maps updated is to submit a specimen to the Bell Herbarium. Then it becomes part of the official record.