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.