How To Grow An Obedient Plant Without Worrying About It Spreading

When it comes to common plant names, you often can learn a lot about the plant and its appearance or behavior. But some plants, like the obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), have names that do not make as much sense. Instead of being very obedient, the ironically-named obedient plant can be fairly hard to control. Many gardeners struggle to keep this species from spreading. It can be difficult to control certain cultivars, which can grow up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to grow an obedient plant without worrying about it overtaking your yard is in a container, because it offers a border containing the plant's spread. A tip for decorating your patio with container gardens is to add this tall, colorful native to your displays.

Obedient plant, also called false dragon's head and Virginia lions-heart, is native to eastern North America and hardy from zones 3 to 9. A member of the mint family, the obedient plant actually gets its name from the way you can manipulate its flowers into unique positions by hand. When it comes to its growing habits, it is anything but obedient. It forms in clumps, using stolons, or runners, to spread out from one location. It is famous for taking over a space in an aggressive manner. It's a beautiful wildflower, but growing it in the ground can be tricky for a gardener who wants a low-maintenance garden. Thankfully, the obedient plant works well in a container garden.

Just because it can be aggressive, doesn't mean that you should avoid obedient plants altogether. Its value as a flower for its nectar makes growing it a genius tip to attract more hummingbirds to your garden. It blooms from June to September with pretty lavender or white tubular flowers set upon tall stalks. Hardy from zones 2 through 9, gardeners across the United States can take advantage of this pretty native by adding it to a container instead of planting it in the ground. Choose cultivars that have less vigorous tendencies, like 'Miss Manners' or 'Crystal Peak White'. Their average height won't overwhelm a container and their maximum spread stays around 2 feet. Note that 'Crystal Peak White' grows well as an annual in a container garden. 

One of the biggest mistakes you're making with your container garden is not choosing plants that grow well together. Consider the ideal growing conditions of an obedient plant. They thrive in the sun, but will tolerate some shade. Plan to grow other sun-loving plants, like blazing star (Liatris spicata) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), in the same container. Obedient plants also enjoy moist, occasionally wet soil, so pick plants that will at least tolerate wet conditions.