Cardinal Flower Died

[KDubU]

I planted a Cardinal Flower in my bog last year and it flowered well through the Fall. This year it has not shown any growth and is dead in my bog. Was planning to pull it out and thought of getting another but I obviously did something wrong being a newbie. My bog has about a centimeter or water over the pea gravel and am wondering whether the crown needs to be above the water?

Tks
Kyle

 

[Tula]

I'm interested to hear what others way, as I've ordered one for the bog.

 

[poconojoe]

We just got one and there wasn't room in the bog. We planted it in the ground next to the pond. I hope it's ok there.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I have had mixed success with cardinal flowers surviving for me. They have been planted in gravel with the crown definitely above the water line. I had one thrive for several years, only to rot & turn to mush one spring. I've had ones that bloomed & grew beautifully for only one year, never to return. As much as I like them playing the centerpiece of my 'island' in the middle of our upper pond area, I am going to choose something else this year. Just tired of the constant wondering if it would make it or not.

 

[Lisak1]

I'll say the same - they are perennial, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will always come back. (Which is true of most perennials actually.) I have found, though, that they prefer boggy SOIL to actually growing in water. They like (and will re-seed themselves) in the "marshy areas" around the pond.

 

[KDubU]

Thanks everyone. I will likely plant one in my runoff area when it rains too much. No longer a bog candidate.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

@KDubU
I've got multiple Cardinal Flowers growing in my bog. My original is in its third year and there are at least four others in their second year after the original self-seeded. They're just slightly above the water level, maybe a quarter inch to half inch. Should be fine in your bog if you have an area where they aren't submerged.

They can grow in wet to average soil, too.

They're known to be fairly short-lived but you should have no problem getting them to stay through self-seeding.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

We just got one and there wasn't room in the bog. We planted it in the ground next to the pond. I hope it's ok there.

Probably will be fine, as long as that area doesn't get super dry. I've got some outside of my bog in the ground, as well as in my rain garden, and I just planted a couple in my native garden last year. I don't water them ever and they've been doing good.