Physostegia virginiana, Obedient Plant, Quart pot

Physostegia virginiana, Obediant Plant

FS-PS, Zone 3, blooms August to September 4’ x 1-2 , wet to medium, well drained soil.

Physostegia virginiana is a robust perennial wildflower with bold lance shaped leaves. In late summer and early fall, foliage is topped by graceful lavender, pinkish or white spikey inflorescences. The individual florets are tubular and similar to snapdragons. Plants thrive in prairie-type settings or sunny gardens with average well-drained soil. This plant grows and spreads by rhizomes., sometimes aggressively. Very good for larger spaces where it can interweave with other plants. People who know the ‘obedient’ plant say the name is a misnomer because the way it freely spreads by rhizomes is anything but obedient. First year seedlings will produce beautiful blooms. Good cut flower!

Attracts many types of small native bees and wasps, honey bees, beetles and hummingbirds. This is a phenomenal plant for late season, because it produces large amount of nectar that’s converted into tiny fat reserves needed by bees and hummingbirds before the winter. Host plant for the Henry’s Elfin butterfly and Grape leaf-folder moth.