Walking past the woodland garden you cannot help but notice the planting of Lobelia tupa. Strong, sturdy plants in excess of two metres tall. These evergreen herbaceous plants from Chile are holding terminal inflorescence of multiple red flowers. On opening the anthers and stigma are just visible at the end of the corolla tube. With maturity this end turns ash grey and resembles the burning end of a cigarette. Preferring a dry root zone the plants provide interest well into the autumn. The rosette of leaves that form at the basal growth can be split and divided to bulk up the planting in late winter/early spring.

Lobelia tupa