Cardinal Flower

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score

0

Native Status

✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON

Closest Direction

Local

CEC Eco-Regions

5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians

Rarity Notes

Globally secure (G5, IUCN Least Concern). S5 in Ontario and S4 in Quebec, reflecting somewhat lower abundance in Quebec. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Brunton (2005) notes it is declining in urban areas of Ottawa, likely due to habitat loss along waterways.

S22 G5, IUCN LC; S26 not SARA listed; S62 declining in urban areas

Rarity Ranks

QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure

Migration

Stable

Ecological Context

Cardinal flower occupies a narrow riparian niche along stream banks, river shores, and wetland margins in the Outaouais. Listed as Common by Gillett & White (1978) on the Quebec side and Uncommon (declining in urban areas) by Brunton (2005) in Ottawa, it favours moist to wet, organically rich soils in partial shade to full sun. Its obligate wetland status (OBL) restricts it to persistently saturated sites.

S63 Common QC; S62 Uncommon Ottawa; S11 OBL; S10 stream banks, wetland margins

Permaculture & Companion Planting

Roles

Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor

S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 18 bee associations (threshold=3)]

Medicinal Properties

ℹ

Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.

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Category

Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antirheumatic, Antispasmodic, Dermatological Aid, Emetic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Gastrointestinal Aid, Nervine

S28 Moerman categories; S29 PFAF Medicinal Rating 3/5

Notes

Extensively used by Cherokee and Iroquois peoples. Cherokee used leaf infusions for colds and fevers, root infusions for stomach trouble and worms, and crushed leaf poultices for headaches. Iroquois considered it a strengthener of all medicines and used it for pain, fever sores, breast troubles, and epilepsy. Meskwaki used ground roots in food as a love medicine. Contains lobeline, an alkaloid with nicotine-like effects on the nervous system. Activity is considered milder than the related L. inflata.

S28 35 Moerman uses across Cherokee, Iroquois, Delaware, Meskwaki; S29 lobeline alkaloid, similar to L. inflata

Edibility & Foraging

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Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.

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❌ Not Edible   

Foraging Notes

Not edible. PFAF rates edibility at 0 of 5 and lists no edible uses. USDA rates human palatability as 'No'. All parts contain toxic alkaloids including lobeline and lobelamine, making ingestion dangerous.

S29 Edibility=0; S11 Palatable Human=No; S4 POISONOUS PARTS: All parts

Toxicity

⚠️ Moderate Toxicity

USDA rates toxicity as None and Cornell does not list this species. However, PFAF notes the plant is potentially toxic, containing the alkaloid lobeline (nicotine-like nervous system effects) and that sap causes skin irritation. LBJ Wildflower Center reports all parts are poisonous if eaten in large quantities, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and coma, due to alkaloids lobelamine and lobeline. The white milky latex deters mammalian herbivores in the wild.

S11 Toxicity=None; S38 not listed; S29 lobeline alkaloid, skin irritation; S4 alkaloids lobelamine, lobeline; S10 toxic white latex

Seed Source

• Localeaf