Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Obedient Plant
(False
Dragonhead)
Physostegia virginiana
[C-value
6]
Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Blooms mid-July - September
The lovely native Obedient Plant is uncommon in our area. It prefers full or partial sun and moist to slightly moist rich loamy soil. Habitats include slightly moist black soil prairies, seeps and moist meadows along streams and ponds. This perennial's central stem is up to 4' tall, unbranched, hairless and strongly four-angled. The opposite leaves are up to 5" long and 1½" across and sharply toothed. Beautiful flower spikes of the upper stems are up to 10" long and have 4 rows of densely packed horizontal flowers and buds. The tubular flowers are white, lavender, or purplish pink, and often have dots or swirls of a darker color. Each flower is about 1" long and has a broad upper lip (hood) and a lower lip divided into 3 lobes with the larger central lobe being a landing pad for insects.
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Obedient Plant at Millbrook South Forest Preserve July 19, 2012
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Obedient Plant at Millbrook South Forest Preserve July 19, 2012
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Obedient Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 22, 2014
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Obedient Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 22, 2014
If one bends the bloom spike of this plant, it tends to remain bent for a while - hence the name Obedient Plant.
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