'Miss Manners' Obedient Plant is a naturally occurring seedling of Physostegia virginiana 'Rosea' but it maintains its compact habit and does not spread as widely. In the mint family, the obedient plant gets its name from the ability of the flowers on the stalk to be twisted into any position, where they will remain. It grows best in moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil and sun to partial shade. Propagation is by division. The flowers are 1" tubular and white, borne on a showy terminal spike. The corolla is swollen at the throat, the upper lip is domed, the lower lip is spreading and has three lobes. Miss Manners is shorter, so staking is not usually necessary. Also, it will rebloom from summer to fall. Each flower spike blooms, starting at the bottom and working its way up to the top. A great choice for a meadow or pollinator garden as it is visited by bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators. Problems: Susceptible to black spot fungal disease More information on Physostegia virginiana .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Narrow doubly serrate opposite leaves.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1 in. white flowers borne in a showy terminal spike and resemble snapdragons. The corolla is swollen at the throat, the upper lip is domed, the lower lip spreading with three lobes. Blooms in late summer to early fall.