Obedient Plant

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

False Dragonhead

Full to part sun, wet to medium moisture level, average soil, moderately acid to neutral pH.

3-4 feet tall, blooms summer into fall (August-October in Middle Tennessee) with tubular pink, white, or purple flowers in square-stemmed spikes; spreads aggressively by rhizomes.

Germination Code: C(60). Division in early spring every 2-3 years is essential to manage spread; shallow roots pull out easily.

Native region: Scattered lightly statewide in Tennessee, mainly in the Ridge and Valley Province.

The common name refers to the unusual property of individual flowers: pushed sideways on the spike, they remain in the new position rather than snapping back, a useful identifier. Obedient plant is a reliable late-season bloomer in Middle Tennessee but requires containment planning from the outset; rhizomes spread readily in moist, fertile soil and can displace less vigorous neighbors within 2-3 seasons. Planting in a bottomless container or at a site with defined borders (paving, foundation) is a practical management approach. As a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), it is reliably deer- and rabbit-resistant. Staking may be needed in shaded or very fertile locations. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, particularly swallowtails.