While visiting Breaks Interstate Park last week, I found this plant blooming near a natural spring. With camera in hand, I took advantage of the natural moment.
Cardinal Flower, with its rich, deep, crimson red blossoms, is a member of the lobelia family. user posted image In late summer, you can admire the brilliant, tubular flowers in many parts of Kentucky along streams, boggy areas, lakeshores, riverbanks, marshes, and damp rich areas. Since it has tubular-like flowers, it is often pollinated by hummingbirds. It is rather common but digging the flower has resulted in scarce populations in some areas.
How did it get its name? Cardinal Flower is named for the brilliant red robes worn by Roman Catholic Cardinals.
On a side note and for those that are not aware, Breaks Interstate Park was created jointly in 1954 by the Commonwealths of Kentucky and Virginia. Known as the Grand Canyon of the South, it offers spectacular breath-taking views and myriad forms of wildlife. With about 4,600 park acres, one third of the park is located in Pike County, Kentucky (along Pine Mountain) near Elkhorn City.
