Future Plants by Randy Stewart: Obedient Plant

Monday, August 9, 2010

Obedient Plant

Physostegia

A genus of 12 species of plants that are part of the larger Lamiaceae family.

Physostegia angustifolia ( Narrowleaf Obedient Plant )
A rhizomatous perennial, forming a clump up to 6 x 3+ feet, that is native to wet soil in the central U.S. ( from central Kansas to northern Illinois; south to central Texas to southwest Georgia ). It is endangered in Kansas and Georgia.
The pinkish-purple flowers are borne in clusters, up to 6 inches in length, during spring and summer.
Hardy zones 3 to 8.

Physostegia correllii ( Correll's obedient Plant )
A perennial, reaching up to 7 feet in height with thick stems up to 1 inch thick. It is native to southeastern Texas, western Louisiana and northern Mexico ( Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Sonoro states ). It is endangered with extinction in the wild and should be used more as a landscape plant to ensure its continuing survival. Fast growing, it can form large rhizomatous colonies.
The ovate leaves are deep green.
The showy, purplish-pink flowers, up to 1 inch across, are borne mid summer to early autumn.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on moist soil. It is flood tolerant.

Physostegia intermedia ( Spring Obedient Plant )
An upright perennial. reaching up to 4 x 4 feet, native to bogs and marshland in the midwestern U.S. ( from eastern Oklahoma to central Illinois to western Kentucky; south to central Texas to eastern Louisiana ).
The lavender-purple flowers are borne on a narrow upright spike. It is great for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on permanently moist to wet soil. It is tolerant of standing, shallow water.

Physostegia virginiana ( Virginia Obedient Plant )
The wild form is an invasive spreader, forming upright clumps up to 6 x 7 feet, that is native to North America ( from southern Manitoba and central North Dakota to International Falls to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to southeast Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; south to eastern Texas to northern Florida ). In the Windsor/Essex County, Ontario regon; it was locally common in southern Essex County, the Lake Erie islands as well as the Ohio shore during the 1800s.
The sharply-toothed, lance-shaped leaves, up to 5 or rarely 8 inches in length, are glossy mid-green.
The pink, tubular flowers, up to 1.2 inch across, are borne in terminal spikes from mid-summer into mid-autumn. The flowers attract hummingbirds and are a great nectar source for butterflies.
The square stems are green.
Hardy zones 2 to 8 in full sun to partial shade on fertile moist soil.
Mulching improves vigor by preserving moisture and cooling soil. Propagation is from division during early spring or seed sown during autumn.

* photo taken on Sep 2 2010 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 25 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 16 2016 @ Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD

* photos taken on Aug 21 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 2 2019 @ Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, Laurel, MD

* photos taken on Sep 8 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 6 2020 @ Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, Laurel, MD

* photo taken on Oct 28 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 28 2024 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken by Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

'Bouquet Rose'
Forms a clump up to 5 x 6 feet with pink flowers.

'Crystal Peak'
A slow-spreading, rhizomatous, compact, sturdy and upright in habit, reaching up to 1.5 x 2 feet.
The toothed, lance-shaped leaves are up to 4 inches in length.
The abundant, pure white flowers appear mid-summer to mid-autumn. It generally does not produce seeds.

* photo taken on July 9 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 24 2022 in Elkridge, MD

'Eyeful Tower'
Massive, reaching up to 7 feet in height, but does not run as much as the species.
The flowers are lavender-pink.

'Gigantea'
Reaches up to 7 feet with very glossy green foliage.

'Miss Manners'
Forms a moderate growing clump, up to 2.4 x 1.3 feet in 2 years, eventually to 3 x 3 feet.
It does not spread by rhizomes and is not invasive.
The toothed, narrowly-elliptical leaves are up to 5.5 x 1.6 inches in size. The foliage is luxuriant deep green.
It bears pure white flowers borne on terminal spiked from early summer into early autumn.

* photo taken on July 1 2011 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, PA

* photo taken during Sep 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on June 22 2019 in Ellicott City, MD

* photos taken on June 28 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 11 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 19 2023 @ Hershey Gardens, Hershey, PA

'Olympus Gold'
Very vigorous but compact, reaching up to 3.3 feet in height.
The very attractive, narrow foliage is gray-green with a bold, broad golden-yellow border.
The pink flowers are borne over a long season from mid to late summer.
It is highly disease resistant and the variegation is stable.

'Pink Bouquet'
Reaches up to 4 feet with dense clusters of pink flowers.

'Pink Manners'
Forms a moderate growing clump, up to 2.4 x 2 feet in 2 years, eventually to 3.6 x 3 feet.
It does not spread by rhizomes and is not invasive. The toothed, narrowly-elliptical leaves are up to 6 x 1.2 inches in size. The foliage is luxuriant deep green.
It bears pale lavender-pink flowers, up to 0.6 inches long, are borne on terminal spikes, up to 6 x 1.6 inches in size, from early summer into early autumn.

* photo taken on July 8 2022 in Grand Bend, ON

'Red Beauty'
Vigorous growing, reaching up to 3 feet with reddish-pink flower spikes during summer.

'Rosea'
Reaches up to 3 feet with pink flower spikes during summer.

'Rose Queen'
Reaches up to 3.3 feet with intense pink flowers borne mid summer through early autumn.

Summer Snow'
Reaches up to 4 feet in height with pure white flowers. It is slow spreading an not invasive.

* photos taken on July 1 2014 in Columbia, MD

* historical archive photo

* photo taken on June 25 2017 in Columbia, MD

'Summer Spire'
Flowers are lilac-purple, otherwise similar to species.

'Variegata'
Reaches up to 4 x 3 feet with pink flowers and gray-green foliage that is heavily blotched creamy-white. Very beautiful and is not invasive.

'Vivid'
Forming a rapid spreading, dense clump up to 3 x 6 feet.
The bright pink flowers borne on upright terminal spikes during late summer into early autumn.

* photos taken on Sep 14 2012 in Columbia, MD