lobelia

noun

lo·​be·​lia lō-ˈbēl-yə  -ˈbē-lē-ə 

1

: any of a genus (Lobelia of the family Campanulaceae, the bellflower family) of widely cultivated plants having terminal clusters of showy lipped flowers

2

: the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco

Examples of lobelia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fifty varieties of plants are available for purchase, including four milkweed varieties, several grasses, native purple coneflower, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, meadow blazing star, New England aster, prairie smoke, wild columbine and wild lupine. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

Examples of plants that can be located in full sun now but in the half-day sun later would include petunia, dianthus, lobelia, and columbine (Aquiegia spp.) 2. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024

Other native plant candidates for winter sowing, Schaller said, include bee balm, coneflower, goldenrod, blazing star, phlox and lobelia. —Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024

Seedlings are the most vulnerable, but popular plants like lobelia, bougainvillea and some ficus are especially sensitive to cold, too. —Sam Schulz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2024

Plants that require insect pollinators include an array of beautiful flowers including annuals such as viola, geranium, lobelia, begonia, impatiens, and perennials such as daylilies, geum, and heuchera. —Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 22 June 2023

Plant Seasonally For cool weather, plant million bells, lobelia, bacopa, twinspur, snapdragons, violas, nasturtiums, and flowering kale. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2022

Technically a tender perennial, as an annual, blue lobelia can thrive in climates all over the U.S. —Terri Robertson, Country Living, 21 June 2022

Flower seeds to start: Rhodochitins, fibrous begonias, dahlias lobelia (don’t cover seeds), snapdragons (don’t cover seed and grow cool), carnations, verbena, pelargoniums, hollyhocks. —Jeff Lowenfels | Alaska Gardening and Growing, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Matthias de Lobel †1616 Flemish botanist

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lobelia

noun

lo·​be·​lia lō-ˈbēl-yə 

: any of a genus of widely distributed herbs (as the cardinal flower) often grown for their clusters of showy flowers

Medical Definition

lobelia

noun

lo·​be·​lia lō-ˈbēl-yə  -ˈbē-lē-ə 

1

capitalized : any of a genus (Lobelia of the family Lobeliaceae, the lobelia family) of widely distributed herbaceous plants (as Indian tobacco)

2

: the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco used especially formerly as an expectorant and antispasmodic