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lobelia
noun
lo·be·lia
lō-ˈbēl-yə
-ˈbē-lē-ə
1
: any of a genus (Lobelia of the family Campanulaceae, the bellflower family) of widely cultivated plants having terminal clusters of showy lipped flowers
2
: the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco
Examples of lobelia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fifty varieties of plants are available for purchase, including four milkweed varieties, several grasses, native purple coneflower, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, meadow blazing star, New England aster, prairie smoke, wild columbine and wild lupine.
—Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Examples of plants that can be located in full sun now but in the half-day sun later would include petunia, dianthus, lobelia, and columbine (Aquiegia spp.)
2.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024
Other native plant candidates for winter sowing, Schaller said, include bee balm, coneflower, goldenrod, blazing star, phlox and lobelia.
—Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024
Seedlings are the most vulnerable, but popular plants like lobelia, bougainvillea and some ficus are especially sensitive to cold, too.
—Sam Schulz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2024
Plants that require insect pollinators include an array of beautiful flowers including annuals such as viola, geranium, lobelia, begonia, impatiens, and perennials such as daylilies, geum, and heuchera.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 22 June 2023
Plant Seasonally For cool weather, plant million bells, lobelia, bacopa, twinspur, snapdragons, violas, nasturtiums, and flowering kale.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2022
Technically a tender perennial, as an annual, blue lobelia can thrive in climates all over the U.S.
—Terri Robertson, Country Living, 21 June 2022
Flower seeds to start: Rhodochitins, fibrous begonias, dahlias lobelia (don’t cover seeds), snapdragons (don’t cover seed and grow cool), carnations, verbena, pelargoniums, hollyhocks.
—Jeff Lowenfels | Alaska Gardening and Growing, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Mar. 2023
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Matthias de Lobel †1616 Flemish botanist
First Known Use
1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near lobelia
Cite this Entry
“Lobelia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobelia. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
lobelia
noun
lo·be·lia
lō-ˈbēl-yə
: any of a genus of widely distributed herbs (as the cardinal flower) often grown for their clusters of showy flowers
Medical Definition
lobelia
noun
lo·be·lia
lō-ˈbēl-yə
-ˈbē-lē-ə
1
capitalized
: any of a genus (Lobelia of the family Lobeliaceae, the lobelia family) of widely distributed herbaceous plants (as Indian tobacco)
2
: the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco used especially formerly as an expectorant and antispasmodic
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