Physostegia 'Miss Manners'

Physostegia 'Miss Manners': The Obedient Plant That Actually Behaves

Most obedient plants promise to behave, then run off across the bed the first chance they get. 'Miss Manners' stays in its clump, keeps its elbows off the table and SAYS THANK YOU FOR EVERY WATERING.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'
• Common Name: Obedient Plant
• Height: 60–75 cm (24–30 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Pure white, tubular and snapdragon-like, on upright spikes that open from the bottom up
• Bloom Time: Summer (July to August), with some later rebloom
• Foliage: Glossy, deep green, narrow leaves on strong, upright stems
• Features: Clump-forming and non-spreading, good cut flower
• Plant Patent: USPP 12,637 (expired)

Where to Plant: Because it stays in a tidy clump, it fits mixed borders where a spreader would be a problem. Use it in the middle of a sunny bed or in cutting, pollinator and rain gardens, and don't worry about clay or summer humidity.

Companion Plants: Monarda didyma adds red flowers at 60 to 120 cm from June to August. Persicaria 'Dimity' sits at the front with pink spikes from June to September. Aster 'Wood's Light Blue' brings blue asters at 30 to 40 cm from August to October. The white obedient plant brightens the middle in July and August.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Water regularly in the first season and during long dry spells. It tolerates heavier clay soil. Remove spent flower spikes to encourage rebloom. Cut the stems back to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the clump gets crowded.

History: 'Miss Manners' was selected by plantsman Darrell Probst of Garden Visions in Massachusetts and introduced around 2000, reportedly as a seedling of Physostegia virginiana 'Rosea'. The species is native to much of eastern North America, including Ontario and Quebec.

Final Thoughts: Glossy leaves, white snapdragon-like flowers and zero spreading. Deer pass, pollinators pull up a chair. ETIQUETTE HAS NEVER LOOKED THIS GOOD.