Lobelia ‘Tania’s Sister’
Lobelia × speciosa ‘Tania’s Sister’ is a bold and beautiful clump-forming perennial, ideal for bringing vibrant colour and upright structure to garden borders from mid-summer into early autumn. With its rich, dark foliage and tall spikes of vivid purple-pink flowers, it’s a stunning choice for gardeners looking to make a real impact with minimal maintenance. Hardy in many parts of the UK, this variety is also popular with pollinators and pairs brilliantly with other late-season performers.
Key Features
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Botanical name: Lobelia ‘Tania’s Sister’
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Common name: Perennial Lobelia
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Plant type: Hardy to half-hardy herbaceous perennial
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Height: 90cm
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Spread: 30cm
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Flowering time: Summer - Autumn (July to September)
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Burgundy-green foliage provides contrast even when not in flower
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Upright, clump-forming habit for strong vertical structure
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Loved by bees, butterflies and other pollinators
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Easy to maintain with simple pruning: deadhead to extend flowering, cut back in autumn
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Hardy: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H4)
Growth & Habit
‘Tania’s Sister’ forms a tidy clump of upright stems with lance-shaped, dark-tinted leaves. From mid to late summer, the plant produces a succession of flower spikes that rise above the foliage, offering bold vertical interest. The long flowering period ensures colour and wildlife activity in your borders when many other plants are starting to fade.
Planting Advice
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Position: Best grown in full sun to light partial shade. A sunny position encourages the richest flower colour and strongest growth.
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Soil: Moist, fertile and well-drained soil is essential. Avoid dry or overly sandy soil, especially in full sun.
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Potted: grown in pots can be planted at any time of the year providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged
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Planting Depth: Plant with the crown level to the soil surface. Water well after planting.
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Spacing: Allow 30–40 cm between plants to provide airflow and room for the clump to expand.
Spring is the ideal time to plant, giving the roots time to establish before flowering.
Care & Maintenance
Once established, Lobelia ‘Tania’s Sister’ is easy to grow with only occasional attention needed. Water during dry spells, particularly during flowering. Apply a mulch of compost in spring to help retain soil moisture and feed the plant.
In colder parts of the UK or exposed gardens, a layer of mulch over the crown in autumn will help protect the plant through winter.
Pruning Advice
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
Uses in the Garden
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A standout perennial for mixed borders, wildlife gardens, and cottage-style planting
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Pairs beautifully with echinacea, rudbeckia, salvia, and ornamental grasses
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Ideal for adding colour and structure in late summer
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Works well in both traditional and modern planting designs
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Suitable for larger containers in sunny locations
With its rich colouring, bold flower spikes, and easy-care nature, Lobelia ‘Tania’s Sister’ is a fantastic choice for gardeners wanting a reliable performer that will brighten up borders late into the season. It’s equally suited to formal borders or wildlife-friendly spaces and will reward you with weeks of vibrant blooms for very little effort.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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In stock
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£6.99 |