Having a name like obedient plant creates a certain expectation: a well-behaved plant with a cooperative nature. And that’s exactly what it delivers.

Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is a tough perennial native to Louisiana and much of the United States. It’s easy to care for and long lived. Although it’s a vigorous grower, it won’t balk when it occasionally needs reining in. And, on top of that, it’s a great pollinator plant — and even somewhat entertaining.

“The individual flowers sit on a horizontal, hinge-like structure called a pedicel,” said LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg. “They can be pushed or twisted and will stay in that position, which is why it’s commonly known as obedient plant.”

Blooming from summer into the first days of fall, wild obedient plant and most cultivated types feature a striking pinkish-purple color. The clusters of small, tubular flowers borne on tall stems may remind you of penstemon or snapdragon.

Obedient plant provides a source of nectar during a transition season — a time when many other flowering plants have already succumbed to the summer heat. That makes this plant irresistible to hungry pollinators such as hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

“I like to watch larger bees wiggle into the flowers,” Stagg said.

Bloom stalks reach at least 3 to 4 feet tall. As flowers form and the stalks get heavier, they sometimes lodge, or lean over.

While obedient plant is nearing the end of its growing and blooming season right now, it will soon be the perfect time to add it to your garden. Like a lot of flowering perennials, obedient plant does best when planted in the fall or winter, as cooler temperatures offer a lower-stress environment for getting established.

Choose a full- to part-sun location. The more sun obedient plant gets, the more flowers it will produce. It prefers average to moist soil but is not picky about other soil characteristics, such as pH. Be sure to give it plenty of room to grow.

Because obedient plant can grow in wet sites, it makes an excellent addition to rain gardens and storm water structures.

“Plant it once, and it will come back year after year without care,” Stagg said. “It spreads by underground rhizomes, forming a very large and vigorous clump. But the roots are shallow, so plants are easy to pull up if the clump becomes too big for your liking.”

Clumps also can be divided while they’re dormant in winter and early spring for sharing with friends.

In late fall and winter, the tall stalks will die off. They can be removed for aesthetic purposes, or you can leave them all winter long to provide habitat for overwintering beneficial insects.

As temperatures warm up in March, the stalks can be removed then. This will expose plenty of new leaves forming clumps near the ground, which will eventually produce flower stalks again in summer.

Fall is a good time to plant flowering perennials such as obedient plant. LSU AgCenter file photo

Obedient plant gets its name from the way its flowers can be pushed into new positions, where they’ll stay. The flowers sit on hinge-like structures. LSU AgCenter file photo