Great Blue Lobelia

This striking lobelia is a perennial of the Campanulaceae (Bellflower) family, and is found native in most of Illinois. It grows from 1-6 feet tall with showy late summer violet blooms at the end of long stems.  It likes a touch of partial sun, but grows albeit slowly in even very shady areas. If left to wilt in too much direct glare it has a hard time recovering that season and looks scraggly. It tolerates most conditions well and in my experience is happier with frequent watering in hot, dry conditions.