great lobelia
- noun
- /ɡreɪt loʊˈbiːliə/
- US
- Gardeners prize the great lobelia for its vibrant blue flowers and towering height.
Examples
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The great lobelia flourishes in wet meadows and along stream banks throughout the summer.
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Wildlife conservationists often plant great lobelia to attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.
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The great lobelia blooms beautifully in the summer.
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I planted a great lobelia in my garden last spring.
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Gardeners prize the great lobelia for its vibrant blue flowers and towering height.
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The great lobelia flourishes in wet meadows and along stream banks throughout the summer.
-
Wildlife conservationists often plant great lobelia to attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.
Synonyms
A tall, upright plant with dense spikes of blue flowers that grows in wet places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a simple adjectival noun phrase where 'great' (large/notable) modifies 'lobelia' (a plant genus), so the meaning 'a large/notable lobelia' is directly derivable from the constituents. This follows basic compositional grammar and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Great lobelia may come from a plant expert named 'Lobel' who lived long ago, and the flower part lobelia keeps his name. The word great simply means 'large', so great lobelia refers to the tall, large lobelia plant.