Physostegia Virginiana Summer Snow Seeds - Obedient plant

Physostegia virginiana 'Summer Snow' in flower creates a small event in the garden. This very hardy, robust perennial presents a bushy clump that produces narrow, slightly erect, snowy candles in the summer, covered with mischievous white flowers. When pushed around the inflorescence's axis to face another direction, they permanently maintain their position, as if they have fallen into some sort of cataleptic state. Obedient plant requires sun and a fertile, humus-rich soil that stays moist to really flourish. 

Physostegia virginiana Summer Snow belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae. It is a cultivar derived from Physostegia virginiana, a plant native to eastern and central North America. It is a herbaceous plant that presents a creeping rootstock that rapidly produces an erect clump of unbranched stems that measure up to 60 cm in height and width. The top of the 10-12 cm long spikes' stems are covered with small white tubular flowers that bloom in the middle of summer. The flowers are attached to the axis by a small organ that acts as a kind of articulation that allows the flower to orient itself in any direction and maintain its position. They are arranged into 4 rows. The deciduous foliage is composed of 10 cm long, narrow, lanceolate, shiny dark green leaves with serrated edges. The plant has a suckering habit and carries large white roots resembling those of bindweed, that allow it to slowly spread.

Physostegia virginiana Summer Snow is easy to grow and thrives in moist soils in the sun. It is often planted at the edge of ponds or used for making bouquets, as its flowers look very pretty and last long in floral arrangements in vases. It is also well suited to perennial and shrub beds where it combines well with summer asters (Aster novae angliae), the soft blooms of the 'Phantom' hydrangea or landscape roses with pastel-coloured flowers.