Want a stem plant that stays in the foreground? Lobelia cardinalis 'Mini' is the dwarf form of the Cardinal Plant — tight internodes, small rounded bright green leaves, and a low horizontal habit that holds a clean edge when trimmed. The full-size species runs to the background; this one does not.
What You’ll Receive
Sold as loose fresh-cut plants, bunched plants, or potted plants:
- Fresh-Cut Plants: Approximately 3 individual, loose-cut stems without root
- Bunched Plants: Approximately 3 stems without root bundled with foam and a plant weight
- Potted Plants: Approximately 3 stems without root potted in rockwool and net pot
Plant Profile
- Common name — Dwarf Cardinal Plant, also known as Mini Cardinalis
- Scientific name — Lobelia cardinalis 'Mini'
- Placement — Foreground to midground
- Mature height — 2–4 in
- Growth rate — Medium
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — Medium to high. Strong light keeps the internodes tight
- CO₂ — Recommended, not required
- Water — 68–82°F · pH 6.0–7.0
- Substrate — Required. Root and water column feeder
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Grows well emersed in paludariums and wabi-kusa
- Propagation — Stem cuttings and side shoots
Grower’s Notes
- Light controls the shape, not trimming. Under strong light the internodes stay short and it grows as a compact bushy patch. Under weak light it stretches, and no amount of cutting brings the compact form back.
- Trim early and often. Each cut forces side shoots, and it is that branching — not the original stems — that creates the dense manicured look it is bought for.
- Replant the tops rather than keeping bare bases. Cuttings root readily, and side shoots will root too.
- It is one of the better plants for crisp geometric rows in a Dutch layout, because it holds an edge instead of sprawling.
- Some melt during the emersed-to-submersed transition is normal. New growth follows within a couple of weeks.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Lobelia Cardinalis Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference; leaf size, density and colour vary with lighting and nutrients.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Healthy aquatic plant that "grows very fast" and arrives well-packaged. Customers praised the vibrant purple coloring and dense, lush growth. Most reported excellent condition upon arrival with minimal melt. Note: purple color transitions to green when submerged; stays purple when emerged or near surface. Some shipping damage reported, and occasional leaf die-off during acclimation.
- They've already rooted nicely and have added maybe an inch to their length. I couldn't be happier!
- The most adorable compact I have. I absolutely adore it. Super nifty.
- Looks exactly like the picture, quality is great. No signs of melting.
R
Bought this twice it was so good. First time I got this plant it was amazing two mid size chunks in very good condition. Second time I ended up with 5 smaller pieces and they had maybe 30 - 40 % dead leaves but are doing well in the tank with minimal to no melt off.
S
All of the plants I ordered arrived a little later than projected but where still in good shape. The lobelia all had nice, healthy looking leaves with variegated colors. All have been planted and so far are doing okay 3 days later.
R
They look so good. I love that purple tinge to it. Great will definitely buy again from here!
D
Never see so beautiful plants before. Love it!
K
This is the way they look in my tank.
G
I absolutely LOVED this plant when it arrived. It came with such a beautiful purple color. Unfortunately many of those leaves died off and the new growth is green. I don't have it near the surface of the water so I expected that but I still wish it had kept the pretty purple leaves! All the plants in my 55g tank are from Aquarium Plants Factory and as you can see, they've all grown SO much since I received them! (For reference, I don't use CO2 and they've still done extremely well!) And maybe I lucked out, but all the plants were/are snail free!
N
Received very nice healthy portions, just as pictured. Plants are growing great without CO2. In just a couple weeks I'm seeing lots of new growth, will be very easy to propagate.
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A
Lobelia Cardinalis Mini
C
Arrived pretty fast, but came in damaged from usps. Caught the worker throwing it on camera. You could look at the plants i ordered, and could tell it was thrown around. All but half a stem died. But im hoping that half makes it. It definitely is a pretty plant. Its currently in a dry start tank with the rest of the order, and seems to be making a comeback
J
I planted the Lobelia Cardinalis Mini in a fairly new tank about 2 weeks ago. They've already rooted nicely and have added maybe an inch to their length. I couldn't be happier!
D
Plant was delivered quickly and in good shape. APF is a great place to get aquarium plants!
S
Very nice. Growing in very nicely.
W
No complaints at all. Plants came healthy and well kept. Not a single dead one at all. Not to mention the early delivery. Will buy from them again in the future.
R
The most adorable compact I have. I absolutely adore it. Super nifty.
A
Dense, lush, clumps of this species.
J
Great looking plant. Well packaged, very healthy
E
The shipment came in on time and are in good shape.
D
Grows very fast looks great on the sides of rocks or wood. Mine didn’t have any purple so I can’t review on it turning colors or not.
A
Very pleased with look
B
My plants came well packaged and lush. I will definitely be ordering from this store again!
C
As described and healthy. Great product
M
Giving 4 star because I bought 3 different plants and one was mush. However, this one was in nice shape and doing well in my daughters aquarium.
J
I'm giving this plant five stars because it arrived in excellent condition. I lost one stem to melt and have melt occurring on the rest, but my hope is that it just needs time to acclimate. I have it under med-high light, planted in FloraMax, with some ramshorn snails providing clean-up assistance with dying plant tissue. I do see new, bright green leaves sprouting on at least two of the surviving stems, so this should be a nice addition if I can get it to transition successfully into my tank. As long as one stem gets established and growing well, I can always make more of it!
M
Can't go wrong with this beautiful, vibrant, and happy to grow column feeder!
J
I ordered this lobelia based on the picture wine and after reading about it i found that it would usually stay purple when grown close to the surface of above water. The lobelia i received was a beautiful small clump with great roots and new growth and is still maintaining its lovely purple coloring!
S
I got so much of it! I love this plants it's beautiful. Looks exactly like the picture, quality is great. It's been 3 days, no signs of melting. I believe I find my new aquatic plant store! Very happy with my purchase, so much so I ordered some other plants from them just 2 days later.
K
I ordered 2 plants about a week ago, they came in yesterday well packaged and in great condition. Willing to shop for more aquatic plants again.
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