The native Lobelia cardinalis was named for its intense cardinal color, which in turn was derived from those certain Catholic clerics (who for centuries have fancied frocks of the brightest red). By coincidence, the cardinal flower carries out its pollination with a bit of religious flourish: a visiting ruby-throated hummingbird who sticks its head in for a drink has its forehead anointed by the anthers of an elongated reproduction tube. Since the individual blooms of Lobelia cardinalis open from the bottom up and transition from male to female as they mature, the pollen-blessed hummingbird then needs to press against a stigma lower down on the plant to complete the ceremony. This midsummer rite can fittingly be witnessed at Mass Audubon’s wildlife sanctuary in Wellfleet, along the shores of the Silver Spring Brook where the pictured flowers grow.
