Physostegia virginiana — Details

Obedient Plant learn more about names for this taxon

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Overview

Comprehensive Description

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This plant is often grown in flower gardens, and some populations may represent escaped plants from cultivation. Usually, the horticultural forms are more rosy pink or purple in appearance than native wild populations, which are usually white with light pink or purple tints. Because the individual flowers stay in place when moved, one common name is 'Obedient Plant,' as used here. Another name is 'False Dragonhead' on account of the fancied resemblance to a European plant by that name. While this is a pretty plant, its ecological value to birds, mammals, and insects is fairly low. Return
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Source: Illinois Wildflowers

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Description

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This native perennial plant is up to 4' tall and unbranched, except near the inflorescence. The central stem is strongly four-angled and hairless. The opposite leaves are up to 5' long and 1½' across. They are sessile, hairless, lanceolate or oblanceolate, and have sharply-pointed widely-spaced teeth along the margins. The inflorescence consists of tall spikes of flowers at the ends of the upper stems. A spike is up to 10' long and consists of 4 rows of densely packed horizontal flowers or their buds. The tubular flowers are white, lavender, or purplish pink, and they often have dots, fine stripes, or swirls of a slightly darker color. Each flower is about 1' long, has 2 lips, while 4 purple anthers are visible near the upper lip. This upper lip is a broad hood, while the lower lip is divided into 3 lobes – the larger central one functioning as a landing pad for insects, which is accompanied by 2 smaller side lobes. The flowers have no scent.  The blooming period occurs during late summer to early fall, and lasts about 1½ months. Each flower produces 4 sharply angled, dull brown seeds. The root system consists of a central taproot and rhizomes. The latter promote the spread of this plant vegetatively.
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Source: Illinois Wildflowers

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Distribution

National Distribution

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Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

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Ecology

Associations

Faunal Associations

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Bumblebees are the most important pollinators of the flowers. Occasionally, other long-tongued bees and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird may visit the flowers. These visitors seek nectar from the flowers. Like other members of the Mint family, the Obedient Plant is probably not a favored source of food for mammalian herbivores. Photographic Location
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Source: Illinois Wildflowers

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Flower-Visiting Insects and Birds of Obedient Plant in Illinois

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Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)
(hummingbirds and insect visitors suck nectar; some bumblebees collect pollen, as indicated below; butterflies are non-pollinating; some observations are from Robertson, otherwise they are from Mitchell as indicated below)

Birds
Trochilidae: Archilochus colubris sn

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus pensylvanica sn fq, Bombus vagans sn cp; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes agilis (Mch), Melissodes bimaculata bimaculata sn, Melissodes rustica (Mch); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile brevis brevis sn, Megachile latimanus (Mch)

Butterflies
Nymphalidae: Danaus plexippus sn np; Pieridae: Colias philodice sn np
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Source: Insect Visitors of Illinois Wildflowers

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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Physostegia virginiana

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The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Physostegia virginiana

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation

Conservation Status

National NatureServe Conservation Status

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Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

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NatureServe Conservation Status

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Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Cultivation

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The preference is full or partial sun, and moist to average conditions. Growth is best in rich loamy soil, but it can contain some gravel or clay. During droughts, the lower leaves may turn yellow and fall off the stem. Otherwise, the foliage has fewer problems than most mints. This plant is easy to grow if the site is not too dry. At moist sites, it sometimes spreads aggressively. Range & Habitat
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Wikipedia

Physostegia virginiana

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Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant or false dragonhead) is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to most of the United States, except for the Pacific Coast states.[1]

Contents

Description [edit]

It is an erect herbaceous perennial growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall by 60 cm (24 in) broad, with pink, purple or white racemes of tubular flowers in summer.[2] The flowers are on swivels that can be bent right or left on the stem, giving rise to the common name. Plants spread by means of rhizomes forming large colonies, especially in moisture-retentive soils.

Flowers

Subspecies [edit]

There are two recognized subspecies: P. virginiana ssp. praemorsa (Shinners) Cantino and P. virginiana ssp. virginiana (L.) Benth.

Cultivation [edit]

The plant grows in most soils in sun or partial shade, but may become invasive. Therefore frequent division in fall (autumn) or spring may become necessary.

Cultivars [edit]

[3] (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit)

  • 'Alba' - white flowers.
  • 'Crown of Snow' - white flowers
  • 'Pink Bouquet' - rose pink flowers
  • 'Rosea' - pink flowers
  • 'Rosy Spire' - lavender-pink flowers
  • 'Summer Snow'agm[4] - pure white flowers
  • 'Variegata' - pink flowers, leaves green variegated with white
  • 'Vivid'agm[5] - bright pink flowers

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Physostegia virginiana". USDA PLANTS. 
  2. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964. 
  3. ^ Michigan State University Extension: Physostegia virginiana
  4. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Physostegia virginiana 'Summer Snow'". Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  5. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid'". Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
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