On the Dry Side: Lobelia laxiflora is long-blooming, drought tolerant.
Its Central American cousin Lobelia laxiflora is a much larger and tougher plant, and few people would suspect that the two are closely related.
It is sometimes called the Mexican Cardinal Flower or Mexican Lobelia.
It forms a clump 2 to 3 feet tall, with many ascending slender reddish stems and narrow green leaves.
Over time, the clump spreads outward, but it is easy to snip it back if it goes farther than is wanted.
At the Ruth Bancroft Garden, Lobelia laxiflora begins flowering in April, and it continues to flower profusely through the spring and summer months.
At the bud stage, the flowers are tubular and red over most of their length, fading to yellow toward the tips.
Overall, a plant in flower provides a burst of fiery colors, from the red of the tubular part of the flower to the yellow and orange of the open mouths.
When planting Lobelia laxiflora in the garden, it is best to water it regularly while getting it established, but once it gets going it is quite drought-tolerant, needing only occasional watering to get it through the dry conditions of summer.
Brian Kemble is curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek.