Scarlet Bronze Leaf lobelia sends up upright spikes of scarlet flowers in late summer, and the bronze foliage behind them makes the red look even more vivid. It grows as a clump about 2 to 3 feet tall, a hummingbird magnet that stands out in the late-season border.

Here, lobelia wants moist ground, unlike most of what we sell for Alabama clay, so plant it in a damp spot or a rain garden. Part sun to part shade suits it; in full afternoon sun in July it sulks. Try it at the edge of a pond or along a downspout where water collects.