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Obedient Plant
Physostegia
Also comes in white.
Obedient Plant blooms from August through September.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Obedient Plant
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 3.3 ft tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Obedient Plant
Plant Obedient Plant in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from August to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Good to know about Obedient Plant
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Push a single flower left or right on its stem and it temporarily stays put in the new spot, as if hinged. That is the obedient part. per NC State
Species or compact nativar?
Extensions split: some call the straight species a fine native if you divide and contain it; a Wisconsin source will not recommend it, steering you to compact nativars instead. per NC State and Wisconsin
Spreads fast by rhizomes
Like many mints, it runs by underground rhizomes and self-seeding into dense colonies. Roots are shallow, so unwanted shoots pull easily; divide every one to two years. per NC State
Late-season pollinator magnet
Its tubular flowers feed bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, and its August-to-frost bloom fills a late-summer forage gap when little else is flowering. per NC State
Deer generally pass it by
Deer generally pass it by. NC State lists it resistant and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center rates its deer resistance high, so it rarely needs protection. per NC State and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Flops in rich soil
Stems flop and may need staking in rich soil, deep shade, or hot summers. Full sun and leaner soil keep them sturdy, which also slows the spread. per NC State
What pairs well with Obedient Plant
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Snow-in-Summer
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Arborvitae
Shares full sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 20 ft, for the layer behind it; both are native plants.
Gardenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; a soft color beside the pink; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Bee Balm
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; both are native plants; red sits close to pink on the wheel.
Queen of the Prairie
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; both are native plants; echoes the pink.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall as this one finishes; both are native plants; red sits close to pink on the wheel.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 2.3 ft, for the front of the border; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
Maiden Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
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