May 2003

White Dragonflower:Physostegia virginiana alba

Origin: Virginia, USA

Want to attract butterflies to your garden? Then why not add White Dragonflowers to your outdoor plantings this spring. An easy care perennial, this attractive plant will produce spikes of unusual snapdragon-like white blossoms throughout the summer into early autumn. 

 Dragonflowers are also commonly known as the obedient plant because each individual flower can be placed into a new temporary position as if it were hinged. The white variety has a more compact form with less of a tendency to flop than other cultivars of the species. White Dragonflowers grow best in full sun with medium moisture and well-drained soil. They don’t like to sit with “wet feet”. 

 Growing anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 feet, the Dragonflower does like to spread so it should be divided every two to three years to keep it under control. Tolerant of various conditions, it grows
in zones 3 to 9.

 An exceptional plant, which can add contrast to other cultivars, the White Dragonflower is wonderful for naturalizing in a wild garden, prairie or meadow.