Overview

Scientific name: Physostegia virginiana
Common names: Obedient plant, false dragonhead
Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Native range: Central and eastern North America – from the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic coast, and from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast.
Habitats: Moist prairies, streambanks, wet meadows, open woodlands, and thickets.
Growth form:
- Perennial, rhizomatous herb, 2–4 feet tall.
- Square stems (mint family trait), opposite lance-shaped leaves.
- Flower spikes with tubular, snapdragon-like blooms in pink to lavender (occasionally white).
- Noted for “obedient” flowers: can be bent and will stay temporarily repositioned.
- Bloom period: Mid to late summer (July–September).

Ecological Role

Produces tubular flowers with abundant nectar, primarily supporting long-tongued pollinators.
Mid-late summer blooming fills an important gap between milkweed/coneflower season and fall asters/goldenrods.

Particularly attractive to native long-tongued bees (bumble bees, large leafcutter bees) and hummingbirds.
Also used by butterflies (swallowtails, skippers) and certain moths.

Rhizomatous root system helps stabilize soils in wet meadows and along streambanks, making it valuable for restoration and erosion control.

Clumping and spreading habit creates dense stands, providing cover for insects and small invertebrates, which in turn feed insectivorous birds.

Bees: Bumble bees (Bombus spp.), carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica), large leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.).
Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) visits frequently for nectar.
Butterflies: Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), monarch (Danaus plexippus), silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus).
Moths: Clearwing moths (hummingbird moths, Hemaris spp.) occasionally visit.

Indirect support: attracts insects eaten by flycatchers, warblers, and other insectivorous birds.
Seed heads may be visited by finches and sparrows, though seeds are small and less significant than nectar role.

Provides nectar for beneficial predatory wasps, which control pest populations (e.g., grasshoppers, caterpillars).

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade; flowers best in full sun.
Soil: Moist, well-drained to wet soils; tolerates clay.
Moisture: Prefers consistent moisture but tolerates average garden conditions once established.
Spread: Rhizomatous; can form large colonies (good for restorations, may need containment in gardens).
Maintenance:
- Divide clumps every few years if desired.
- Cut back in spring to allow overwintering insects to use hollow stems.

Pairs well with other moist meadow and prairie species:

Valuable in wet prairie restorations and pollinator corridors.
Supports hummingbirds and late-summer bee populations critical for colony survival (e.g., bumble bee queens fattening before overwintering).
Spreading habit makes it useful for soil stabilization along riparian zones.

Mid–late summer bloom: Crucial nectar source when few others are flowering.
Supports diverse pollinators: Bumble bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, moths.
Wetland restoration species: Thrives in moist soils, stabilizes banks, supports insect diversity.
Rhizomatous spread: Excellent for naturalized plantings; may need management in smaller gardens.