"Cardinal-flowers kindle their spiral flames, and illuminate the dark nooks among the shrubbery."
...Nathanial Hawthorne, "The Old Manse"

Almost always called "America's most vivid wildflower", this very famous plant of great beauty has been seen by few, since it blooms during summer, not spring, like most of its woodland companions. The flowers are orchid-like, up and down the tall 3 to 4-ft. stems. They often put on a dazzling show in shady wet woods, and many a hiker has been startled by coming onto a colony in brilliant bloom in the mid or late-summer woods. Because of its beauty, Cardinal Flower is often picked in the wild, and has become rare in some places. It also seems cursed by being a streamside plant which has shallow roots. Often even large, older plants are swept away during spring flooding, since their roots are poor anchors in a strong stream of water. Once established, a colony of this wildflower will be the pride and joy of any serious wildflower gardener.

Our seeds, often very hard to find, are hand-gathered from the wild by a seed specialist in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, so you know they'll be the true wild species. (There are several hybrids of this wildflower; one with maroon-red leaves, which is not as cold-hardy as the native.)
No. Seeds per packet: Over 500