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By Craig Huegel Reprinted from The Understory, Sep.-Oct. 1992
In my mind, there is no wildflower color more dramatic in the landscape than red. Other colors may be beautiful in their own right, but none of them catch the eye the way that a rich true red does. In many cases, these reds also attract the attention of some of our most interesting nectar feeders--the giant sulfurs and swallowtail butterflies and hummingbirds. In the fall, these animals are present in Pinellas and they are looking for red. Not so coincidentally, some of our best red wildflowers are in bloom then. The following is a brief description of four of my favorite red wildflowers:
Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) is a biennial or sort-lived perennial native to north and north-central Florida. It is found in a variety of sandy, well-drained habitats including beach dunes and turkey oak sandhills. Although not native quite this far south, I have grown this wildflower in Pinellas for several years and others that I have given seed to also have had success with it. Standing Cypress looks much like a common weed when young. The plants have finely dissected leaves and rather coarse stems. By July, these stems begin to elongate and the plant looks even weedier. It is when the flower buds develop in late August that its real beauty becomes apparent. The flowers are an exceptionally bright rich scarlet and the flower stalks may stand 3 feet tall. Planted in a clump, this plant is incredible but temporary. More often than not, it will perish after the seeds have dispersed. When given good drainage, standing cypress can be added annually to a wildflower meadow so that patches of it will thrive each year to work their fall magic.
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<< Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cadinalis) is one
of the most brilliant reds in the flower world. Native to portions
of north and central Florida, it requires wet or constantly moist
soil to thrive. Some of my reference books state that it also
prefer alkaline soils, but I have found it to be relative tolerant
of low pH conditions. Cardinal flower will do well under a broad
range of light conditions, too. I have grown it in areas that
were mostly shaded and in nearly full sun, with equal results.
Given too much shade, however, it will not bloom as heavily.
During most of the year, this wildflower will consist as a rosette
of leaves at the ground level, but by early August a hint of
the flower stalk will develop. This stalk continues to reach
skyward until late August. At this time it is between 2 to 3
feet in height and the lower flower buds have developed. Cardinal
flower will bloom for nearly one month. After this, the stalk(s)
quickly turn brown and the plant once again is reduced to its
basal rosette of leaves. When happy in its location, it will
multiply by forming numerous "pups" around the base
of the main stem. It also will propagate from the seed. On the
negative side, cardinal flower is attacked by numerous garden
pests, most notably slugs, snails, roly-polys, and rabbits. Therefore,
you must maintain some vigilance should one of these appear near
your plants. (Photo credit: 
<< Red Basil (Calamintha coccinea) is a perennial woody
mint native to well-drained sandy areas of north and central
Florida including coastal dunes. Specimens of this plant once
occurred in Hillsborough County, but are now believed to be completely
extirpated. Red basil is somewhat bizarre, to the point of being
both interesting and attractive. It may grow nearly 6 feet tall
if nothing happens to it. The leaves are very small, rounded,
and a deep shiny green in color. often, they are barely noticeable
from a distance. What you see are the long, thin, and twisting
stems lined with 1-inch long orange to carmine red tubular flowers.
These flowers are present from late spring through fall, but
it is in the fall that it seems to bloom the heaviest. Grow the
plant in full sun. (Photo credit: 
Red Salvia >> (Salvia coccinea) is really a rather common
weed, but the beauty of its deep red flowers makes us forget
that. This wildflower is native throughout Florida and thrives
in a wide variety of sites. It especially does well in sites
that have experienced human disturbance. Red salvia will thrive
in shady to sunny areas and tolerate droughty to moist soils.
It also is salt tolerant. The one thing that will set it back,
however, is age. This plant blooms nearly year round if a freeze
does not occur, but it also begins to look leggy and becomes
woody. Red salvia should probably be kept pruned to a height
of about 3-4 feet. At this height, it looks full and attractive
and the blooms occur over most of the plant. One drawback or
advantage of this plant, depending on your point of view, is
that it reseeds itself heavily and, if allowed to, will quickly
dominate an area. (Photo credit: Jan Allyn)