NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

virginiana

Obedient-plant, Northern Obedient-plant

Herb/Wildflower

Perennial

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

^(*Key)

1-3 ft.

Pink, Purple, Violet

Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Moist

July, August, September, October

Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain

This species prefers somewhat high pH soils, and full to partial sunlight. Also, it grows best in damp (but not wet) sites, though it is not really a wetland species. It favors wet meadows, barrens and glades, seepages in open woods, damp thickets, among other sites. It does grow in open upland forests as long as the soil is quite high in pH. Uncommon to infrequent in the NC mountains. Rare in the northwestern Piedmont, but slightly more frequent farther east and south, though still mostly uncommon in the central and eastern Piedmont, and very rare in the northeastern portions. Presumed introduced or escaped in the Coastal Plain.

Opposite

Deciduous

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Simple

Perennial

Important for Wildlife

Highly Recommended and Available

S3: Vulnerable, S4: Apparently secure ^(*Key)

G5 - Secure ^(*Key)

Weakley (2018) lists two subspecies, as opposed to varieties, for this species in NC. The form ssp. praemorsa is the primary one, if not the only native one, in the state; on the other hand, ssp. virginiana is considered by him as native in NC but rare throughout.

USDA PLANTS Database Record