Similar Species: Downy Lobelia is most similar to Great Lobelia. The flowers of Great Lobelia are larger, the base of the corolla swollen, and the underside striped with white. The flowers of Great Lobelia are arranged all around the stem, but those of Downy Lobelia are confined to one side of the plant.
Lucas Land
Downy Lobelia
Lobelia puberula
From Nearctica
Identification: Flowers typical of the lobelias with 5 petals fused into a basal tube. Three lower petal lobes projecting downward. Upper 2 petals curled upward. Flowers violet-blue, arising from leaf axils and confined to one side of the plant. Leaves ovate to ovate-elongate, sessile to the stem. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.
Distribution: Found mostly along the coastal plain from New Jersey southward to Florida and westward to Texas. Also found in scattered localities in the interior of the eastern United States.
Habitat: Downy Lobelia is found in open woods and clearings.