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tnflowerlover

Obedient pant in 7b NC

I picked up a physostegia virginiana (as identified on the naming pant forum), not knowing it was such at the time. This is invasive, right? How much so in NC 7b? If it is going to spread lie crazy, I do not want to pant it.

Comments (15)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    you were told its invasive.

    you know its invasive..

    and what.. you hope someone will come along and tell you to forget all that ...

    get rid of it.. its a PIA ... as i recall.. its often said.. there is nothing obedient about it ...

    see link

    ken

    ps: and a pox on the guy who sold it to you.. or gave it to you.. and to anyone who tells you.. its just sorta invasive ... thats right up there with sorta pregnant.. lol ...

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    Obedient plant is not invasive. An invasive species by definition is not native to the ecosystem. Physostegia virginiana is native to the United States.

    It is, however, somewhat aggressive. Do you have any boundaries to keep it in check? There is one cultivar called 'Miss Manners' that is supposed to be less aggressive than others. I would give it a growing season and see what happens.

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    Obedient plant is relatively easy to keep tame if you pull out the shallow stolons by which it spreads. Whether you should keep it depends on whether you are willing to put in the effort to keep it in check.

  • coolplantsguy
    11 years ago

    I love the variegated form.

    The common name FWIW comes from the ability to bend the stems and their tendency to remain in place, hence being "obedient".

    A useful plant for autumn colour.

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ken, I wasn't sure if I remembered correctly. That is one reason I was asking. Another reason is that I have found that sometimes, there are ways to get around it. Fortunately, it looks like I got my wish. :)

    Mista, thanks! I have never heard of "stolons," but I will check into that. I will research that and see if I can find out what cultivar it is. Thanks for the info! :):):)

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Cool, thanks! I was wondering how it got its name. I looked up yours...it is pretty!

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    Stolons (sometimes called "runners") are basically shallow underground or ground-level stems. If you have seen a strawberry plant, stolons are how they make new plants. 'Miss Manners' apparently does not spread via stolon, but rather clumps, making for a much less aggressive plant.

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks! Is there any way to check to see if it is Miss Manners, by looking at it? If I check and see no stolons underground (there are none on top), is it possibly safe?

    We have wild strawberries in the backyards...holy moly, they create some long stolons!

    Believe me, I will be much more careful at picking up a plant I do not know. I was just in a hurry and should have checked. Live and learn. :)

    I really appreciate your help!

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks! Is there any way to check to see if it is Miss Manners, by looking at it? If I check and see no stolons underground (there are none on top), is it possibly safe?

    We have wild strawberries in the backyards...holy moly, they create some long stolons!

    Believe me, I will be much more careful at picking up a plant I do not know. I was just in a hurry and should have checked. Live and learn. :)

    I really appreciate your help!

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    Well, the flowers are white and so are the flowers on 'Miss Manners.' That is about all I can say regarding the similarity. You will know soon enough what you have. Even if you have a less well-behaved stolon-spreading variety, you can control it if you are diligent. They tend to spread more in moist, fertile soil -- so let it dry out if you can and don't fertilize.

    I don't find Obedient Plant to be a menace. If you have an area with some boundaries like stones, paths, shrubs, etc., it will work well. If you are planting it in an area with a large area to roam, be prepared to have to do some work to keep it in bounds or plant somewhere where it doesn't have room to roam. This isn't a plant that is impossible to get rid of -- you just have to be prepared to tame it. Personally, I don't care for its appearance; but it does provide late-season color. I see no reason to condemn it.

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    The stolons are going to take awhile to form, so you won't know if they are there for awhile. Just plant it and see what it does. If you see it start to spread in a straight line, it is likely a stolon-spreader. If it spreads slowly in a clump, it is a clumper. The fun is finding out. Either way, no need to worry. Enjoy it.

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Mista, for your incredible help. I found somewhere to put it while I observe it for another year.

  • finchelover
    11 years ago

    I have the purple one in bloom right now still after our deep freeze. I had the white and now I can;t remember where i got it mine were not invasive

  • mistascott
    11 years ago

    You will find that the garden plants you really need to worry about are aggressive ones that spread via rhizome, not stolon. Rhizomes are (often deep) underground rootstocks. Plants like Liriope spicata and Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) send out vigorous rootstocks deep underground that can be hard to eliminate.

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Finch! Thanks for pointing out the difference, Mista!

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