Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) Guide: How To Grow False Dragonhead

Propagating Obedient Plants: Growing an Obedient Plant From a Seed, Cutting, or Seedling

While Obedient plants slowly spread on their own via underground rhizomes, propagating from seed, cuttings, or division establishes plants quicker.

Plants grown from root cuttings adapt readily while seeds or stem cuttings introduce beneficial genetic diversity.

Here’s how to propagate more Obedient plants in your garden:⁵

Root Cutting Division

In early spring or fall, gently dig up part of a 3 to 4-year-old clump, keeping the soil intact around the roots. Separate sections with a sharp knife or garden fork, making sure each division has plenty of roots.

Immediately replant 12 to 18 inches apart and water thoroughly. Establish new plantings by watering regularly until they become acclimatized.

Established divisions bloom heavily the following year. Take care not to disturb their fleshy taproots which resent disturbance.

Growing From Seed

Collect seeds from spent flower spikes starting in late summer once pods turn brown and split open.

Direct sow outdoors in fall or cold stratify stored seeds 60 days before planting. Cover with 1/16-inch soil maintaining even moisture for best germination which occurs sporadically over several weeks.

Thin or transplant seedlings when 6 inches tall.

Stem Cuttings

For quicker results than seed, take 4 to 6-inch terminal cuttings from young, flexible shoots in spring and early summer. Remove lower leaves and dip ends in rooting hormone powder.

Plant cuttings in seed starting mix, vermiculite, or potting soil. Keep protected under humidity domes with bottom heat until new foliage grows signaling root initiation.

By utilizing these simple propagation techniques, you can expand your Obedient plant collection to brighten gardens, borders, or open spaces.

Proper selection and preparation of the planting site help ensure success when establishing transplants. This allows the creation of impressive vertical accent plantings or meadow sweeps filled with their late summer blossoms and prominent seed heads.

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana): Is Obedient Plant Invasive?

Obedient plant spreads assertively via underground rhizomes and self-sown seeds. As such, within good growing conditions, it can potentially become weedy or invasive in the landscape if not properly managed.

Prevent spread by planting non-running varieties, digging out unwanted sprouts when young in early spring, deadheading flowers before they set seeds, or installing subsurface barriers around garden beds.

Where Does Obedient Plant Grow Naturally?

In the wild, Obedient plant occurs across most of Eastern and Central North America except Florida.⁴ Its native habitat centers around moist woodlands, wet meadows and prairies, lakesides, stream banks, and river floodplains.

Obedient plants thrive in organically rich, medium to wet soils in these riparian corridors and are remarkably adaptable to both occasional flooding and drought. Their natural range extends from:

• New England across to the Midwest
• As far west as eastern Colorado
• North into Canada
• South to Texas and Mexico

For gardens, note that the Obedient plant grows wonderfully as an herbaceous perennial across USDA planting zones 3 through 9.⁴

USDA Obedient Plant Growing Zones: Growing Zones for Obedient Plant Where To Grow

Here are the planting zones where Obedient plants thrive as dependable summer-blooming perennials:⁴

• USDA Zones 3–4: Withstands icy winters below -30°F. Mulch for insulation.
  Mulch plants in the fall for insulation.
• USDA Zones 5–6: Grows well across the northeast, Great Lakes, and cooler northwest regions.
• USDA Zones 7–8: Thrives well except in the hottest southeastern summers. Although heat and humidity tolerant, ensure airflow and site with afternoon shade.
• USDA Zone 9: Does well in West Coast areas with adequate irrigation.

Wherever you garden, choose a site with full to partial sun and consistent moisture for the happiest growth. Some midday shade is beneficial in zones 7 to 9 but note that too much shade increases disease vulnerability.

Enriched organic well-drained yet evenly moist soil is ideal.

Best Growing Conditions for Obedient Plants

When provided with suitable growing conditions,³ Obedient plants grow vigorously and flower prolifically.

(Image: S. Tsuchiya⁹)

Here are their preferred growing conditions:

Sun Exposure

How much sunlight does Obedient plant need each day?

Well, Obedient plants thrive with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for the heaviest flowering.

Morning sun is essential. Light afternoon shade is better than full sun in hot southern zones.

Soil

Consistently moist, organically rich loam or clay soil with good drainage suits them best, though it adapts to different types except for extremely sandy soil. Improve sandy or dense soils by mixing in compost.

Soil pH

Slightly acidic to neutral pH levels from 5.5 to 7.0 are preferred, but Obedient plants tolerate pH ranging from 5.0 to 7.5.

Watering Needs

Average moisture is needed for the best growth and flowering.

Establish new plantings with weekly watering then reduce to occasional deep soakings for mature plants. Established plants need at least 1 inch of water weekly.

Consistent moisture is vital, though they handle temporary drought once settled.

Temperature and Humidity

Adaptable from frigid zone 3 winters to hot and humid zone 9 summers. Protect from intense late-day sun in the hottest regions; ensure good air circulation in humid climates.

Fertilizer

Avoid over-fertilization which causes weak growth. Work compost into beds before planting or top-dress annually with organic matter in early spring.

When To Plant Obedient Plant for the Best Yield: Pink Obedient Plant

Obedient plants grow best when planted while dormant in early spring as growth resumes or in early fall about 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost.⁵

Early spring planting allows roots to develop before heat sets in while autumn planting gives plants a head start to establish before winter dormancy.

While container plants can be planted anytime in the growing season, it is best to plant bare roots or divisions in spring or fall.

Here is an overview of when to plant Obedient plants for optimal growth and flowering in your climate:

Spring Planting

1. Early spring planting from March to May is ideal in zones 3 to 8 once soils thaw and temperatures reach 50°F
2. Cooler zones can be planted through early June
3. Growth starts quickly allowing good root development before heat arrives

Fall Planting

1. September through October planting allows solid root growth going into winter dormancy
2. Growth readily resumes next spring
3. Success requires planting at least 6 weeks before the expected first frost

Summer Planting

1. Nursery container plants can be planted anytime during summer but need extra watering while establishing heat
2. Pay close attention to ensure consistent soil moisture

By understanding the best times to plant Obedient plants, you can give your new additions the right start whether planting from pots or bare root divisions.

How To Plant Obedient Plants: False Dragonhead Species

Getting Obedient plants properly settled sets them up for vigorous growth for years ahead. Here are some planting tips for Obedient plant including how far apart to plant Obedient plant:

Choosing Sites

Areas with full sun to light afternoon shade and moist, organically rich soil suit them perfectly. Near water features or pond edges are ideal.

Position somewhere protected from strong winds. Provide good airflow and space between plants in hot, humid gardens.

Planting Distance

Leave about 2 to 3 feet between young plants to accommodate mature dimensions reaching up to 4 feet wide. Plant closer for denser clumps.

Planting Process

Dig holes twice as wide as the root system, setting crowns even with soil level. Refill holes with the surrounding soil, enriching with compost if poor quality.

Firm soil gently and water well.

Ongoing Care

Mulch spring plantings with 2 to 3 inches of organic matter. Stake leggy plants in windy sites until roots develop.

Establish a consistent irrigation regime appropriate for soil type during the first year.

By understanding preferred locations, plant spacing, and how to properly site your Obedient plants, you can incorporate this native beauty artfully into your backyard garden and meadows and avoid many common issues with these sometimes-finicky perennials.

Caring for Obedient Plants: Growing and Maintenance Tips for Dragon Head

Easy-care Obedient plants thrive when given suitable growing conditions matched to their native origins. Just be sure to follow these simple care guidelines:³

Watering Tips: Watering Needs for Obedient Plants

The Obedient plant thrives with consistent soil moisture. Water transplants regularly; allowing the soil to slightly dry between soakings.

Established plants need at least an inch of water per week. Deep water for better root development.

Consistently moist soil is also vital to fuel fast growth and prolific flowering from midsummer onwards.

Reduce water needs once plants enter winter dormancy, allowing soils to partially dry out between occasional deep watering if rainfall is lacking. Avoid both waterlogged soil and drought.

Pruning Needs

While no regular pruning is needed, cut back dead top growth to the ground each spring before new shoots emerge. Removing spent flower spikes keeps plants neater and helps reduce unwanted self-seeding.

As stands age, flowering diminishes as central foliage thins. Therefore, dig up and divide dense clumps every 3 to 5 years in early spring or fall to rejuvenate plants.

Fertilizing Recommendations

Avoid heavy feeding which creates lanky, floppy growth unable to remain upright once flower heads develop. Instead, top dress around plants with 1 to 2 inches of compost or well-rotted manure each spring.

Monthly liquid fertilizing with fish emulsion or seaweed solutions ensures lush foliage and prolific blooms.

Support and Protection

Staking helps support 2 to 3-foot-tall flower spikes on top of heavy plants prone to flopping, especially in windy or exposed locations. Shelter plants from strong winds which cause stem breakage.

Additionally, apply loose winter mulches after the ground freezes to protect crowns and roots in zones 3 to 5. Avoid excess moisture buildup directly on the crown during winter months.

By understanding these simple care tips for Obedient plants, you can easily grow lush plants brimming with late-season blossoms to enjoy for years to come. Their versatility and resilience make them pretty much carefree once established.

Ideal Companion Plants For Growing Obedient Plant: White Obedient Plant

The upright stately form and late summer blooms of the Obedient plant pair beautifully with other medium to tall perennials and native wildflowers. Combined with mounded or creeping plants also highlights its towering form.

(Image: manseok Kim (manseok_Kim)¹⁰)

Here are some great options:

1. Bee Balm (Monarda): Flowers concurrently in late summer with dense heads of scarlet, purple, or pink atop minty aromatic foliage. It reaches two to four feet tall and attracts pollinators.
2. Turtlehead (Chelone): Whorls of white hooded flowers resemble turtle heads lasting through late summer into fall on plants reaching 3 feet tall.
   Thrives in evenly moist soils.
3. Helen’s Flower (Helenium): Daisy-like yellow, brown, or red blossoms carried on strong stems rising 2 to 5 feet tall. They are drought-tolerant.
   It blooms from midsummer into fall and are good cut flowers. Remove spent blooms to encourage reblooming.
4. Gayfeather (Liatris spp.): Grass-like lavender flower spikes adored by butterflies
5. Blazing Star (Liatris spicata): Dense spikes of rosy-purple flowers rising above narrow grassy foliage from mid to late summer and grows 2 to 4 feet tall.
   It is drought resistant.
   They are great for butterflies including the monarchs, but deer avoid them.
6. Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale): Clumps of narrow leaves bear branching stems with bright daisy flowers in autumn. It blooms in late summer until fall and can grow from 3 to 4 feet tall.
   Butterflies flock to them.

Other suitable pairings include:

• Joe Pye Weed: Structurally similar with dense pinkish flower heads over foliage. Attracts butterflies.
• Asters: Daisies in shades of purple, pink, or white. It combines well with late-season meadow flowers and are deer-resistant.

• Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica): Spiky blue flowers complement the pink Obedient plant blooms as both mature at the same time.
• Goldenrods (Solidago sp.): Soft yellow plumes that are loved by butterflies.
  They match fall foliage tints and tolerates clay soil.

• Ornamental grasses: Vertical foliage contrasts nicely with dense Obedient plant flower spikes. Options include switch grass or little bluestem grass.
• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Large daisies in pink, white, or purple with central cones. They are heat- and drought-tolerant.
• Sedges: Grass-like foliage provides a nice contrast.
  There are many native options which tolerate damp soils.

By planting Obedient plant together with other tough, resilient native perennials sharing the same cultural preferences, you can create dynamic, easy-care displays filled with pollinators and texture providing months of beauty from summer into fall.

Pests, Diseases, and Problems Impacting Obedient Plants: How To Stop Obedient Plant Disease

When grown in the right habitat with proper care, Obedient plants remain relatively pest and disease-free. However, watch for these common pests of the Obedient plant as well as diseases and problems:⁵

Pests

1. Spider Mites: Cause stippling damage to foliage. Knock off with a strong spray of water.
   Apply insecticidal soap if severe as natural pest control for Obedient plant.
2. Aphids: Distorted growth and sticky foliage results from sap-sucking insects. Use insecticidal soaps or neem oil for control.
   Ladybugs feed on them.
3. Four-Lined Plant Bug: Causes distortion or death of new shoots. Hand remove adults spotted and remove affected parts.

Diseases

1. Powdery Mildew: White fungal coating appears on leaves, usually from excess shade or crowding. Improve airflow then apply sulfur sprays or remove infected parts promptly.
2. Cercospora Leaf Spot: Small brown spots with dark centers gradually enlarge to form tan lesions. Promoted by humidity and overcrowding plants.
   Space plants properly and remove diseased leaves promptly.
3. Viruses: Stunted growth, mottled leaves, distortion. Aphids transmit viruses.
   Control spread by controlling aphids. Rogue infected plants.

Other Issues

1. Flopping Flower Heads: Insufficient light, overly rich soils, and weak or stretched growth result in the toppling of flower spikes. Site properly and provide grow support.
   Use more compact varieties with sturdier stems like the aptly named ‘Miss Manners’.
2. Failure to Bloom: Ensure adequate sunlight. Avoid excess fertilizer. Remove spent spikes to encourage reblooming.

The best Obedient plant disease prevention is to locate them properly to meet their cultural needs for light, space, airflow, and consistent moisture to minimize environmental stresses that lead to problems.

How To Identify Obedient Plant (Obedient Plant Facts)

The Obedient plant is easy to identify by its square, upright stems lined with pairs of opposite, lance-shaped, toothed leaves. Plants reach 3 to 4 feet tall when happy, taking on a narrowly vertical form.

(Seeds Image: Abrahami⁸)

From midsummer into fall, dense columns of two-lipped pink flowers appear in vertical spikes rising above the foliage. Here are more details on the key traits of the Obedient plant to identify this hardy perennial:³

Obedient Plant Leaves

The leaves of the Obedient plant are oppositely arranged along square stems. They are lance-shaped with sharply serrated edges and pointed tips. Ranging 2 to 4 inches long, the medium to deep green foliage provides a nice contrast to the colorful blooms.

The foliage dies back completely in winter.

Obedient Plant Flowers

From mid-summer into fall, dense spikes of tubular two-lipped snapdragon-like flowers in shades of pink, lavender, or white appear on tall upright stems. The colorful blossoms are neatly arranged in vertical rows, each subtended by a small leafy bract, and have a mild fragrance.

Hummingbirds and various types of bees are highly attracted to the nectar-rich blooms as they open progressively from the bottom up.

Obedient Plant Seeds

Tiny brown seeds form in small pods that shatter open when ripe in fall. These are spread around by birds and water.

Obedient Plant Roots

Obedient plant forms spreading underground rhizomes that give rise to new shoots, allowing them to form expanding clumps. It also has a shallow central taproot.

When bloom time arrives, the somewhat closely arranged yet orderly spikes of delicate-looking flowers create an eye-catching display. The mildly fragrant blossoms attract bees and several types of butterflies such as monarchs and swallowtails.

The false dragon head is also among the heirloom plants that attract hummingbirds.

If you gently bend an individual bloom to the side, it will stay in its new position for a short while before slowly returning upright. This “obedient” trait gives the plant its common name.

Uses of Obedient Plants: Landscaping and Gardens

Beyond showy floral displays, Obedient plant lends ample ornamental value to gardens and meadows:

1. Accent Planting: Dramatic vertical form creates focal points in perennial beds, borders, or pond plantings.
2. Specimen Planting: Striking magistral form for island beds or foundations. Mass for bold effect.
3. Rain Gardens: A dense root system prevents erosion and supports stormwater absorption in drainage swales. Tolerates occasional standing water.
4. Pollinator Gardens: Abundant nectar sustains butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
5. Screens/Hedges: Blend with shrubby natives like chokeberry or elderberry to create flowering structural screens.
6. Cut Flowers: Long-lasting blooms brighten fresh arrangements. Foliage also has decorative value.

Wherever placed, Obedient plant injects statuesque elegance and vivid late-season color into gardens. Just be sure to allow enough room for growth and utilize containment strategies in smaller spaces.

Varieties of Obedient Plants: Crystal Peak Obedient Plant

While the species offers fantastic flowers, foliage, and growth across its native range, selected varieties provide more compact size or distinctive flower colors better suited to smaller modern landscapes.

(Image: F. D. Richards¹¹)

Some top Obedient plant varieties include:³

• ‘Miss Manners’:⁶ A non-spreading form growing just 2 feet tall bearing pure white blooms late summer into fall. Its clumping politely restrained habit avoids seeding around.
• ‘Rose Queen’: Vibrant rosy-pink flowers on deep green foliage. Grows 3 feet tall and wide.
  Blooms late summer into fall with good rebloom if promptly deadheaded.
• ‘Vivid’: Intense reddish-pink flowers on clumps reaching just 2 feet tall. Blooms late summer into fall.
  Its petite size suits container gardening or more formal borders.
• ‘Autumn Carnival’: Bicolor flowers in variable combinations of rose, lavender-pink, and white atop dark green foliage on plants growing around 3 feet tall and wide. Blooms late summer into fall.

Other top varieties to consider:

• ‘Summer Snow’: A prolific white-flowered form growing about 2 feet tall and wide.
• ‘Alba’: A white-flowering Obedient plant cultivar that is less aggressive than the straight species.
• ‘Crown of Snow’: White flower spikes stand elegantly above blue-green foliage. Grows 32 inches tall and wide.

The crystal peak white Obedient plant is an improved version of the native Obedient plant bred for its compact habit, self-cleaning spikes, and long bloom time.

No matter which Obedient plant variety you choose, check tags for specifics on mature height and width compared to species plants to ensure proper placement. If you want to avoid or curb the potential spread, select non-running varieties like ‘Miss Manners’.

For heavier flower production, choose cultivars touting prolific blooms. With so many options available, you can find a variety tailor-made to suit your specific landscape needs and enhance gardens with vivid late-season color.

What Is the Best Obedient Plant Variety for Small Gardens?

For modern gardens with limited space, the most recommended Obedient plant variety is ‘Miss Manners’. This well-behaved, non-spreading selection grows just 2 feet tall and wide.

(Image: David J. Stang¹²)

It bears elegant white flower spikes that provide vertical interest without aggressive wandering or self-seeding like the species.

Toxicity and Potential Problems With Obedient Plants

While enchantingly beautiful, Obedient plants contain mildly toxic compounds that may cause skin irritation if sap contacts skin, especially for sensitive individuals. The main toxins include the diterpenoids aethiopinone and 1,2-dehydroaethiopinone, which can cause skin inflammation.

Wear gloves when handling and wash hands afterward as a precaution. All plant parts may cause gastric distress if ingested so keep away from unsupervised children and pets.

The Obedient Plant: A Stately, Hassle-Free Perennial of Choice

Boasting elegant floral spires in shades of pink, purple, and white combined with stately form, it is easy to see why Obedient plant remains a popular garden perennial. As a hardy North American native adaptable across a range of growing conditions, it injects graceful color and supports biodiversity into landscape gardening.

By properly siting plants with enough room to expand and utilizing containment strategies as needed, you can readily reap the rewards of growing Obedient plant while avoiding weediness issues.

Incorporate the Obedient plant into meadow gardens, borders, or pond plantings for eye-catching vertical accents humming with pollinator activity.