The illustrated growing guide
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Family Lamiaceae
Est. zones 3-9
A fun, late-season native — the individual flowers swivel and stay where you push them (hence 'obedient'), delighting kids, while bumblebees and hummingbirds work the pink or white spikes into fall. It does run in moist soil, so pick the compact, clump-forming cultivars like 'Miss Manners' or give it room to roam. A cheerful, easy cut flower.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees⚠ Spreads aggressivelyObedient Plant spreads vigorously and regrows from bits of root, so it's very hard to fully remove once established — give it a contained bed or a spot where it can roam freely, and edge it every year.
From the print shop
Growing obedient plant? Hang it.
Our Wildflowers Vol. 3 collection carries obedient plant — Physostegia virginiana, print Nº 7, “Obedient Plant.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will obedient plant suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what obedient plant actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-9Obedient Plant at a glance
Common obedient plant problems
- Almost none
- Powdery Mildew (minor)
- Rust
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow obedient plant: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate obedient plant
III
The year
What obedient plant asks for, month by month.
The obedient plant year, month by month
BloomPruneWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
The obedient plant year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar pruning
- Apr pruning
- May pruning
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug bloom
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Obedient Plant in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
What obedient plant is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of obedient plant, ruled as a catalogue.
Best obedient plant varieties & cultivars
'Miss Manners' (white, well-behaved clumper); 'Vivid' (pink, compact); 'Pink Manners'
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to obedient plantyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Obedient Plant questions, answered straight.
Is obedient plant safe for kids and pets?
Obedient Plant is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate obedient plant?
Division or seed.
Is obedient plant invasive?
It can be an aggressive spreader — give it room or a barrier, and check your state's invasive-species list before planting.
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Elsewhere
Where obedient plant sits in the library.
Common Milkweed
Ironweed
Cup Plant
Helen's Flower (Sneezeweed)