If you want to have beautiful colors adorning your spaces throughout the year, the Physostegia It can be your ideal flower. It grows in sunny and semi-shaded areas, you can find them in various colors such as lavender, which are the most popular, but also in white, pink and purple. In this article we are going to explain everything about this plant, from its most striking characteristics to the care you must provide, one by one, to enjoy its extraordinary beauty.
What are the characteristics of Physostegia
This is a curious plant. Virginian Physostegia o Obedient Plant, as it is also known. Its shape is curious, as well as the reason for it, which is that the flower is born pushed to one side and remains that way for life. Perhaps because of this added difficulty or because of its obedience and successful fertility despite growing in a forced position, it is a flower that is considered to symbolize the achievement of life.
It is a herbaceous plant that can reach a meter in height, although sometimes it is only half a meter in height, which is already a considerable height in any case. Its leaves are also long, which can measure about 10-15 cm and are lanceolate with serrated edges. In addition, each flower has a joint in the stem that makes it possible to position it laterally and maintain it, on a completely upright stem.
They bloom towards summer, specifically from July to September depending on when you planted it, since they usually take about 90 days to appear. They resist the summer very well, but with good care, you can keep the plant alive and beautiful all year round.
It must be added that it is a plant from the family of laminaceas. And it is its curious posture and appearance that gives it its name, because its name “psysostegia” refers to the concepts of “vesicle” (physa), and envelope (stege), due to that curious inflated flower appearance that it has.
Physostegia care
It is a strong plant but this does not mean that it does not need your care. Physostegia to shine in all its splendor. It lives well in warm environments and also withstands the harsh winter, making it one of the favorite plants for flower growers, who admire its hardiness.
If you are also thinking about growing specimens of these obedient plants, pay attention to these data that we are going to show you so that you can give them the best care.
Location of Physostegia
Although we have said that we are dealing with a plant that resists cold and warm temperatures equally well, however, it is more inclined towards temperate and sunny environments, where the temperature does not drop below 20º or 15º if it is its crop.
For this reason, the ideal location for Physostegia is in a sunny garden or outdoors in summer and indoors if we are in winter without a greenhouse and the temperatures drop excessively. You can plant it in pots, in pots and in the soil itself, but taking into account the light and temperature it will have during the year. That is, if you live in very cold environments, try to plant them in pots that you can move to take inside the house, unless you have a greenhouse area prepared.
Light that Physostegia needs
La obedient plant or Physostegia It demands a lot of sun, so the ideal is that it receives at least a few 6 hours of sunlight or, at least, it should have about 3 hours of sun. It is a species that will love places between sun and shade, so if you have it, place your plant there.
If you don't have natural light where you live, you could make up for the lack with artificial light.
Perfect temperature for Physostegia
Since the plant resists cold and heat well, even frost, you can not worry about this aspect, because it survives between 0º and 35º. Although, in case of colder temperatures, it is convenient to have it indoors.
It is a species typical of tropical environments that tends to gain humidity when temperatures become high and when frost arrives, mulching can help make the environment more suitable.
The good substrate for physostegy
This plant also does not require very special substrates for its growth. Soil containing a mixture of organic matter with good drainage will suffice. Common compost or aged manure are valid.
Irrigation
The obedient plant must have sufficient humidity, but without drowning, because it could rot. You have to make sure that there is no lack of water but that the soil does not get too wet.
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The best fertilizer for Physostegia is a fertilizer rich in phosphorus. Humus is very good for this crop and it is good to apply a granular or liquid fertilizer to ensure that it receives all the nutrients.
Propagation and multiplication
You can multiply the plant by sowing or dividing if you are in spring. Or through cuttings if summer arrived. To transplant, do it in 12 cm deep pots or do it in grass with 40 cm.
Rusticity
As we have mentioned previously, the plant is super resistant, as it withstands high and low temperatures and we can even easily protect it from frost, just by taking some precautions. That is why it is such a appreciated variety.
Pests and diseases of Physostegia
It is a plant that resists pests well and can only rarely be attacked by aphids and mites. The use of an insecticide will be enough to leave it clean of these pests.
As for diseases, it can be affected by fungi and rust. You can cure it with a fungicide by applying the treatment as soon as possible, before the disease spreads.
Now that you know all about Physostegia, you will surely be encouraged to grow it in your home. You will spend hours looking at its beautiful flowers and admiring its shape, as curious as it has been studied to resist even the most extreme conditions. Remember that it resists cold and heat, although it requires a lot of light, whether natural or artificial, to grow with all its intensity.