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This flower has been growing near my deck since last year, and is getting a start again this year. I have a "let live if native" policy for anything growing in that area, and I can't find this in any of the Mighigan invasive plant guides (closest is purple loosestrife, but the top of the plant doesn't look the same, and the leaf margins are not smooth as would be in the case of purple loosestrife). All the purple loosestrife "look-alikes" I could find (fireweed, blue vervain, winged loosestrife, blazing star, and gayfeather) look even more dissimilar to purple loosestrife than this plant. Anyway, take a look at the pictures and let me know if you recognize it - and even if you don't recognize it, I'm curious what your opinion is: should I pull it up or let it live?
That's it - Lobelia cardinalis. The flowers, the stalk, the leaves... everything is consistent with the description of this plant.
In fact one variety, rosea, has "rose or pinkish flowers" (http://www.missouriplants.com/Redalt/ Lobelia_cardinalis_page.html), which is the color of this one.
