Cardinal Flower - Lobelia cardinalis

Beautiful, bright red flowers that have three spreading lower petals and two upper petals that are united into a tube at the base.

Habitat: Pond side: I rarely see this wildflower, and this patch is now gone. It was bulldozed when the small pond that it grew beside was dredged to eradicate invasive fish and plants. Unfortunately, the workers were not that careful and destroyed the habitat surrounding this pond.