A long-blooming member of the mint family with tall unbranched stems topped with many snapdragon-shaped flowers. Hummingbirds, bumble bees, bees, and sphinx moths use the flowers. Seldom eaten by deer or small mammals.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennials
Native Environment: Prairie, Wetland
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost)
Main Color:
Fall Color:
USDA PLANTS Range Map
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Sun Exposure
Medium Sun/Average Shade

Soil
Moisture
Moderate, High

Nature Attracting
Butterfly, Hummingbird, Pollinators/Beneficial Insects

Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Nectar, Food/Birds, Food/Pollinators

Animal
Resistance
Deer Resistant
Size
Height:
36 to
48
inches
Spread:
18 to
24
inches
Size
Height: 36 to
48
inches
Spread: 18 to
24
inches
Size
Height: 36 to
48
inches
Spread: 18 to
24
inches
Typical Landscape Use
Establishment and Care Instructions
Best in rich, loamy soil that remains on the moist side. Can spread aggresively in rich soil, an advantage when used as a ground cover.
Special Features
Special Usage
Fresh Cut Flower, Rainscaping, Salt Tolerant
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
What’s the Next Step?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.