Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
- Native perennial
- Showy flowers
- Pollinator friendly
- Fast growing
- Deer resistant
A native perennial with showy spikes of pink, purple, or white flowers — each bloom can be nudged into place and stays put.
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The obedient plant is a North American native in the mint family, named for a charming quirk: each individual flower can be twisted along its stem and will stay in the new position — at least for a while. From mid-summer into fall it sends up tall spikes packed with tubular pink, purple, or white blooms.
A late-season pollinator favorite
Blooming from July into October, it fills a valuable gap late in the season and draws in bees and hummingbirds when many other perennials have finished.
Care tips
It thrives in moist soil and full sun to part shade, but be warned — in rich, damp ground it spreads vigorously by runners. Divide it every year or two to keep it in bounds. Compact cultivars like ‘Miss Manners’ and ‘Summer Snow’ are better behaved if you want the look without the spread.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Mature size
- 3–4 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide.
- Bloom
- Pink, purple/lavender, or white flowers on spikes from July to October.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 2–9.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Full sun to partial shade.
- Water
- Prefers moist, well-drained soil and tolerates occasional wet feet. Spreads aggressively in rich, moist ground.
- Soil
- Clay, loam, sand, or organic soil with good drainage; moist to occasionally wet, neutral to alkaline pH.
- Pruning
- Maintenance: cut stems back by half in late spring for sturdier plants, deadhead to limit self-seeding, and cut to the ground after frost. Divide every year or two to renew and contain it.