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Physostegia virginiana - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Lamiaceae

Habitat

Wet prairies and sedge meadows. Moist calcareous meadows.

Associates

In wet prairies with Agrimonia parviflora, Andropogon gerardii, Calamagrostris canadensis, Campanula aparinoides, Chelone glabra, Gentiana andrewsii, Lobelia siphilitica, Mentha arvensis villosa, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Scirpus atrovirens, Scutellaria lateriflora, Vernonia fasciculata.

Distribution

Quebec and ME, west to Manitoba and ND, south to FL and northern Mexico. Does not usually occur near the coast except where it has escaped from cultivation.

Morphology

Herbaceous perennial to 1.5 m but usually less. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, acuminate, sharply serrate, decreasing in size up the stem. Flowers white to pink, to 1" long, tubular, in terminal racemes; stamens 4.

Notes

Flowers mid August to early October

Wetland indicator: Obligate

The flowers can be moved laterally and will stay in the position to which they are moved.

References

Niering, W. A. 1979. The Audubon society field guide to North American wildflowers: eastern region.
Knopf/Random House, New York.

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

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