Lobelia elongata (Purple Lobelia, Longleaf Lobelia)

Description

2′-3′ Tall Native Perennial produces between 10-40 flower blue to violet flowers per stem during Summer and Fall.  Flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Songbirds feed on the seeds. Plant in moist to wet soil in sun or part shade. Plants spread by basal offsets forming dense patches under proper conditions.

I have never had a problem with deer feeding on other Lobelia sps.  This suggests that deer will not feed on this species either.

Native to DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS & LA. We propagated our plants from a native population growing in a highway ditch  in Hampton Co., SC. The plants were growing on either side of the mow line. The unmown plants were taller, but the mown plants had produced more basal offsets and more flowering stems. I had never observed Lobelias that benefitted from mowing before. Perhaps this group of Lobelias evolved special traits for these manmade conditions.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lobelia-elongata/