Physostegia virginiana Galadriel - Obedient Plant

Physostegia virginiana 'Galadriel' is a dwarf variety that has pastel flowers, in light lavender-pink.  When in bloom, at the height of summer, this robust perennial creates a small display in the garden. Forming a wide clump in wet soils that it loves, this plant has mischievous flowers that permanently change orientation when touched.  Physostegia are very beautiful plants for riverbanks and wetlands, which also provide excellent cut flowers, very long-lasting in a vase. 

Physostegia virginiana belongs to the Lamiaceae (Scrophulariaceae) family, it is related to snapdragons and foxgloves for example. It is native to the eastern and central parts of North America, where it can be found along rivers, in waterlogged meadows or even in wetlands. 'Galadriel' is a dwarf cultivar with pink-mauve flowers. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant, with rapid growth, that colonises the soil. From spring, it forms an erect clump of unbranched stems, 45 cm (18in) in all directions. The deciduous vegetation disappears in winter. The spikes, 10-12cm (4-5in) in length, covered with pastel tubular flowers, develop in the middle of summer, between June and July, at the top of the stems. The flowers are attached to the axis by a small organ that acts as a joint, allowing them to orient themselves in any direction and maintain their position. They are arranged in 4 rows. The deciduous foliage is composed of lanceolate leaves, 10 cm (4in) long and narrow, with toothed edges, which are shiny green. The plant has a semi-suckering stump, with large white roots resembling bindweed roots, allowing it to slowly spread. The vegetation disappears in winter and regrows in spring. 

Easy to grow in moist soil, Physostegia virginiana 'Alba' is often planted along the edge of a body of water or used for making bouquets, as its flowers are both graphic and hold up well in vases for floral arrangements. Along the water's edge, it can accompany other wetland edge plants such as river anemone, hastate verbenas, 'Houttuynia Chameleon' or narrow-leaved cottongrass. It will also find its place in consistently moist flower beds, alongside summer asters (Aster novae angliae), the soft inflorescences of 'Phantom' hydrangea, or pastel-coloured groundcover roses.