Looking great in the garden now is our clump of Physostegia virginiana ‘Pink Manners’. This offspring to the shorter, white-flowered, Physostegia ‘Miss Manners’, is one of the finest summer-flowering North American (Canada to Florida) native perennials we grow, yet when we offered it for sale, sales were miserable, which leaves us perplexed. The 4′ tall clumps are topped, starting for us in early July with a mass of pink flowers that draws in both bees and hummingbirds. Unlike old selections of obedient plants, which ran and took over the garden, this is a tight clump former. Did I mention that it’s deer-resistant, and thrives in both wet or regular garden soils, as long as it’s growing in full sun. Hardiness is Zone 4a-9a. We’d love to offer this again, but we need to figure out why people didn’t buy it last time.
I would definitely try it. anyone who has had physostegia take over their garden (like it did in mine) would hesitate to try it again. if you offer again, emphasize the clumping nature.
bad experience with a very aggressive plant. sounds like you addressed that issue.
Yes, I wouldn’t grow phystostegia for decades until these clumping forms were developed. They are huge breakthroughs.
I would definitely plant it- and have a great location for several clumps. I hope you do sell it again.
Like others, the aggressive spreading is what prevented me from trying it. Today, what would prevent me from trying any form of physostegia is that I do not have any place on my property that can give it the sun requirements that it needs.
Is this plant native to our atea? I only plant natives in my garden.
Physostegia virginiana is currently native from Canada south to Texas, but keep in mind that “native” is not a place in location, but is only a place in historical time. The genes of our native dogwood, Cornus florida originated in Asia, then migrated across the Bering land bridge to North America, then south to Mexico, then back north again to North Carolina, where it is considered native, by non-native humans. Metasequoia and Gingko are both North American native plants that unfortunately went extinct fairly recently in geologic time. Humans aren’t native here, as are virtually none of our food crops. We’re always curious about the logic that ornamental plants should be viewed differently that food crops, pets, or humans.
I would love to give this a try in my Northern Virginia garden.
What its chances in Wyoming? I think we are 5a or 5b and have plenty of full sun spots. Issue may be enough water.
It’s reasonably drought tolerant here, but we’re not Wyoming. We average 46″ of rain annually, and much of Wyoming averages 12-13″. I’d check with your local extension service, unless you have a garden spot that stays moist. That said, this species is native to one county in Montana and two in Utah.
I’ve always known them as obedient plants. I didn’t care for them because they were invasive.
Invasive plants are defined as non-native plants that invade a functioning natural ecosystem, displacing natives, and causing economic harm once population equilibrium has been reached. While running physostegia is certainly be a garden thug, it fits no meaningful definition of invasive.
Good to know. Wish that info had been provided. Obedient plants are known to be very disobedient! Yikes!
Sadly, there is quite a bit of incorrect information being dispersed on-line and in person.
Oh my…I would buy it in a heartbeat.