How many fun-loving, gigantic pitchers of juice who burst through brick walls do you know? I know of only one, and that's the Kool-Aid Man. And when I was growing up, there was a single fashion statement associated with hot summer days when Kool-Aid Man helped us beat the heat. Average income families across the nation reminisce about the red-stained upper lips of their adolescence, thanks to the Kool-Aid mustache. Nothing those summers was more handsome than the mark that said to friends "I just enjoyed a cool, refreshing glass of a sensibly priced, sugar based beverage." This was the sweet, sweet nectar of life. And now, as I grow farther from the sugar craze of my youth, I long for the deep, true richness in color that only Kool-Aid could provide. Perhaps at that age the reds seem more fruit punch-ey, the purples more grape-ish, and the blues more Great-Bluedini-rific. But now, through the wonders of horticultural magic and wizardry, the classic Kool-Aid Man red has been revived and embodied in a single plant. The legacy of 60 tasty years, of countless battles wherein Kool-Aid Man beats the Thirsties, and of true American suburban culture can be yours. Come savor the flavor of Lobelia cardinalis "Fried Greeen Tomatoes".
There are many different cultivars of Cardinal Flower, but none have the vibrancy of flower color AND the depth of foliage tone that "Fried Green Tomatoes" has. The season-long spikes attract nectar lovers of all shapes and sizes, including me. Leaves of this recent development from Pennsylvania show up fully maroon in the spring, and slowly age through the summer into a gorgeous marbleized bronzey-olive green on top. Thick clumps of flower spikes will begin to emerge in mid-summer and will become a beacon of possibility for color in the Garden Manscape. Few flowers have the lasting power of Cardinal Flowers, leaving you rather astounded week after week for nearly two months before the color fades. As a show of unbridled "Kool-Aid Man driving a Ferrari" red, nothing comes close to Lobelia.
Lobelias prefer sun. Anything with the color brilliancy of "Fried Green Tomatoes" could be considered a sun lover, but of course can make due with some shade throughout the day. Spikes can reach up over three feet, so place them somewhere in the mid-range of the border to make sure they don't cover up another choice specimen behind them. "Fried Green Tomatoes" is normally a sterile cultivar, therefore won't seed. If you're looking for a mass planting of Cardinal Flower, you'll have to either select a non-sterile cousin of this, or buy each plant for the clump from a garden store, or wait to divide them after a few years of growth. Free draining, moist conditions are appropriate for all Lobelias, and they are hardy from Zone 4-8. This is a perennial herbaceous plant, which is fancy-pants talk for saying it will die back to the ground each year, and will return each spring to create all-new above ground structures. Keep young soccer players and frisbee-loving pups away from these as best you can, as a broken flowering spike is irreparable for the season.
Color is important to the Garden Manscape, and Lobelia cardinalis is among the boldest color statements around. When looking to beat the heat, I say fight fire with fire, and add a blast of Kool-Aid mustache red through the garden. If Kool-Aid Man were here, he'd bust a gigantic pitcher shaped hole through your fence and plant it himself.
photo credit:
1] http://www.4colorrebellion.com/media/pics/09/08/kam/300.jpg
2] https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ekEazwNNBuHvFBglp-PQRBsHOAC5SZnhRHvI4jr_NnY6oYWq6ikP7uNk6Kx5JfuQ2qnV-DeEpjfngYJUD0AUDQlXJaLfm1vXAVey5nH6IztCAkoj-FWpWWJfmLDszfKmON2NTGRWNFY/s1600/Lobelia-cardinalis.jpg
3] http://www.pleasantrunnursery.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-1217.jpg
4] http://dev.hortmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/384px-Lobelia_cardinalis_-_Cardinal_Flower.jpg
5] http://mma.lohudblogs.com/files/2008/05/kool-aidman.jpg
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