Lobelia Pink Elephant

Stunning !...
but, as you say, probably not a good traveller. :o)

I didn't know there is a tall lobelia. I have had some brilliant blue trailing ones...Is this a perennial? How tall is it?

~this is about 3 feet tall and is mainly in shades of red see info from Wikipedia
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) is a species of Lobelia native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia.[1]

* A perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 1.2 m tall and is found in wet places, streambanks, and swamps. The leaves are up to 20 cm long and 5 cm broad, lanceolate to oval, with a toothed margin. The flowers are usually vibrant red, deeply five-lobed, up to 4 cm across; they are produced in an erect raceme up to 70 cm tall during the summer to fall. Forms with white (f. alba) and pink (f. rosea) flowers are also known.[2]

Lobelia cardinalis is related to two other Lobelia species in to the Eastern United States, Lobelia inflata (Indian Tobacco) and Lobelia siphilitica (Great Lobelia); all display the characteristic "lip" petal near the opening of the flower and the "milky" liquid the plant excretes. It has been known to cause an upset in the digestive system when consumed.

I haven't seen this in this area, I tried to look the cardinal flower up in my "Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest," but didn't find it. It's similar to our scarlet gilia, but not the same We do have a flower called Indian tobacco but I don't think it's lobelia family either.