Physostegia virginiana

 
Latin Name: Physostegia virginiana
Common Name: Obediant Plant. False Dragonshead.
Mature Height (ft): 18-30"
Mature Width: 12-24"

Mature Shape

Tall, upright and spreading.
Mulch: Organic.

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Remarks

Another old garden perennial that’s still good for our Panhandle cottage gardens, Physotegia virginiana is native to eastern and southeastern US.  A terrific addition to the late summer and fall garden. Comes in three pleasing colors of light pink, purplish pink and a real pretty white. The white variety "Miss Manners' and 'Summer Snow' are both better mannered, not spreading quite as vigorously. It's native habitat is in moist, rich soils, but keeping it on the lean side makes it more "obedient".

Obedient plant is a fun plant to play with; the blossoms stay in place if pushed or moved out of place.

 

Use in Garden

Sun, sun/part shade in the midpoint of a bed or border. Western cottage garden. Native plant garden.

If using in a southern garden for the Texas Panhandle, pair Obedient Plant with Boltonia, Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks',a goldenrod variety; Aster lateriflorus 'Lady in Black', Zephranthes candida, white fairy lily; and Calamintha nepeta, Calamint, a native to the Mediterranrean region.

Maintenance

Not drought tolerant, obedient plant will grow better if watered every two weeks and kept mulched. If watered more, it will grow outside its allotted space. Keeping it a bit on the dry side controls its spread.  Only maintenance is in the late winter garden cleanup.