CHILEAN LOBELIA TUPA , long-tall-sally

Chilean Lobelia tupa
Growing on Shaw Island,
San Juan Archipelago, WA.
Unenhanced photograph.
September 2021

Chilean Lobelia tupa  

A survivor for several winters
on Shaw Island, WA.
 (USDA Zone 8b.)
The photo was taken in August 2021.
Click image to enlarge.
Seed packets are available at 
Gatehouse Seeds, Reefnet Bay Road,
 Shaw Island, San Juan Archipelago, WA.

Botanical name: Lobelia tupa

Chilean name: Tabaco del diablo

Common names: "Chilean Lobelia,"  "Devil's tobacco"

Family: Campanulaceae

Origin: Chile

Plant type: Herbaceous perennial

Hardiness: to USDA Zone 07-10

Mature size in 10 years: 8 feet high and 4 feet wide.

Exposure: Sun

Bloom time: July-October.

Moisture needs: Average. Drought tolerant but appreciates occasional watering.

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

Resistant to: Aphids, rabbits, slugs, snails.

Culture: Very easy. Grows to 2 meters very quickly, at least in Chile. Short dry periods of not more than 1 month. Prefers good drainage but undemanding, and will grow in almost any type of soil, including heavy clay soils.

Features: Very large, felted gray-green leaves and strange-looking, beautiful red flowers which bloom for a long time.

The best method of propagation for this striking specimen is from seed.

Spring sowing: Lobelia seeds need light to germinate. Leave them on the surface or cover them with a thin layer of vermiculite. Cover with film and mist every day. Emergence in ca. three weeks. Once 3-4" high and well-rooted, carefully lift and pot on into 4-5" pots with free-draining compost. Grow on for a month or so and then harden off for a week before planting outside. Delay if there is any chance of a late frost. 

Avoid winter wet locations. Cut flower seed stalks to the ground once the foliage begins to fade in autumn. 

Winterizing: The cut stalks are useful for a winter blanket in the Pacific Northwest, along with a few fir branches with needles on top for a covering with ventilation. This method of winter protection for the Lobelia has succeeded since 2017 for the specimen growing at the Gatehouse garden in USDA Zone 8b –– not tropical.

There are 300 species of Lobelia, mostly tropical and sub-tropical –– they belong to the bluebell family, Campanulaceae. Some are highly prized as garden ornamentals and nectar for hummingbirds. 
Chilean Lobelia tupa is one of the favored plants growing at the Gatehouse garden along Reefnet Bay Road, a darling–– tall, colorful, and comes back to greet us in the Spring. 

Uses: excellent ornamental value.

💀💀💀💀According to Michail Belov of Chileflora.com this plant is poisonous. "It was used by the Mapuche natives as a ritual plant, the leaves of which were smoked. It has two medicinal effects, narcotic and analgesic (especially for toothache) but the whole plant is poisonous, so we must be careful with it."

Chilean Lobelia tupa

A.K.A. "Devil's Tobacco"
packets available at Gatehouse Seeds,
Reefnet Bay Road, Shaw Island,
San Juan Archipelago, WA.