Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) - Long-Flowering Non-Native for Damp Edges & Sunny Borders (Peat-Free, Pesticide-Free)

Elegant snapdragon-like spikes in shades of soft pink to lilac (often white in some strains) rise above clean, lance-shaped leaves from mid- to late summer. Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) isn’t aquatic, but it thrives in the pond collar/bog garden where soil stays evenly moist, bringing vertical rhythm and reliable colour just when many borders are tiring. Flowers are neatly tubular and well used by bumblebees and other long-tongued pollinators, while upright clumps offer gentle edge cover without feeling heavy. Expect around 60-100 cm in bloom with a 30-60 cm spread; some forms creep by short rhizomes - easy to guide with a spade trim or by basket-planting in the bog zone.

Where it thrives

• Light: Full sun to light/partial shade (best flowering in sun)

• Moisture/Zone: Pond collar / bog or any consistently moist, well-drained soil; not for submerged shelves

• Setting: Meadow-style pond rims, damp borders, and behind lower edgers for layered height

Planting & care

• Plant in peat-free bog/pond-edge compost or moisture-retentive garden soil; mulch to hold moisture

• Deadhead or lightly shear after the first flush to tidy and extend bloom

• Divide every 2-3 years in spring to refresh clumps and manage any creeping shoots

• For precise edges, spade-edge or sink a root barrier/basket to keep clumps where you want them

Safety (important & honest):
Grown for ornament. Do not ingest. Wash hands after gardening. Keep plant material and soil out of natural watercourses; never release garden plants into the wild.

Truth-first wildlife note:
The open, tubular flowers are accessible to bumblebees and other long-tongued pollinators in high summer. Pair with native pond-edge bloomers (e.g., Purple Loosestrife, Water Mint) to support a continuous nectar ladder while Obedient Plant supplies structure and late colour.

Joel says…
“Use Obedient Plant as your late-summer punctuation - tidy spires, bee traffic, and it loves a moist collar. Keep it mulched, give it sun, and trim after the first show for a strong encore.”

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are ordering perennials between the months of October and March, including aquatic plants, please be aware that this is the dormant phase for perennials, so your plants may arrive showing potentially little or no top growth at this stage, or can in some cases still have some old leaves from last year showing also. Please don't worry, as this is all quite normal. Once the weather warms up in spring, you will start to see fresh growth and activity! If you ever have any concerns at all, please just message the team on enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and we'll always do our best to help.