What is this?

Cindy M
by Cindy M
it has smallish purpely pink blooms and about 3 feet tall?
  75 answers
  • Janet metzger Janet metzger on May 05, 2012
    looks to be in the Foxglove family
  • Mary S Mary S on May 05, 2012
    Lupines?
  • Shelby W Shelby W on May 05, 2012
    foxglove/digitalis, I concur :)
  • Walter Reeves Walter Reeves on May 05, 2012
    obedient plant Physostegia purpurea
  • Mary S Mary S on May 05, 2012
    It does look more like foxglove....I just looked at ours outside...not Lupines
  • Andi K Andi K on May 05, 2012
    confident that it's foxglove latin name...digitalis
  • Jennifer H Jennifer H on May 05, 2012
    yep. foxglove. Digitalis!
  • Andi K Andi K on May 05, 2012
    a picture of the lower leaves/foliage would give better ID
  • June W June W on May 05, 2012
    It is definitely Obedient plant. It is very invasive. I have to pull out tons of them every spring and just leave what I want.
  • Neva F Neva F on May 05, 2012
    I would say foxglove but it's a little early in VA.
  • Cindy F Cindy F on May 05, 2012
    Looks like Obedient plant to me only it blooms in MI in Aug.-Sept.
  • Tina H Tina H on May 05, 2012
    Obedient plant!
  • Judith O Judith O on May 05, 2012
    No, It IS an Obedient plant and I'd stake my life on that. They do spread like crazy but can be pulled out easily as they aren't deep rooted. They are great for a shaded corner and bloom in the FALL. Give some to your friends. www.glenviewgardeners.org
  • Brenda A Brenda A on May 05, 2012
    looks like Veronica (speedwell) ? also looks like the Foxglove, Scrophulariaceae (digitalis) but early, (blooms May-Sept.)
  • Val L Val L on May 05, 2012
    Just looked it up in my book, yest it is obedient plant.
  • Terry Terry on May 05, 2012
    Obedient Plant or False Dradonhead (Physostegia virginiana) got its common name because you can bend the individual flowers in any direction you like. It does grow like wildfire....but it's great for filling a large empty space that is mostly shady and wet. It is about 2' tall and will multiply about 3' per yr.
  • Eulalia Eulalia on May 05, 2012
    Definitely obedient plant.
  • Carol M Carol M on May 05, 2012
    wish I had some in my garden. just the right look..
  • Lily Lily on May 05, 2012
    Foxglove
  • Becky P Becky P on May 05, 2012
    Looks like Turtlehead or Obedient Plant
  • Colleen C Colleen C on May 05, 2012
    obedient plant . I used to grow some.
  • Lynda F Lynda F on May 05, 2012
    I believe this a foxglove at least it looks like the last one I had in my yard.
  • Susan S Susan S on May 05, 2012
    Well, whatever it is, I KNOW I have Foxglove and it definitely is blooming! @Neva S. - Montross is part of the Richmond vicinity so we're not too far apart and my FG is blooming right now. Might depend on where yours is located and how much sun it gets. @Susan P - in Stafford. Oh yeah - another Va. girl and you're REALLY close!! ;~)
  • Jeanne B Jeanne B on May 05, 2012
    I love this plant, so beautiful I would never destroy!
  • Cindy M Cindy M on May 05, 2012
    Thank you all, it looks like obedient plant, according to google images.
  • Mary G Mary G on May 05, 2012
    It's obedient plant, and you will see more and more and more if you don't contain it. I have it at the top and bottom of an incline. The top grows to about 36" but the bottom gets less sun and stays at 18-24". They have newer hybrids now that aren't as invasive.
  • Terry F Terry F on May 05, 2012
    Obedient Plant is quite the misnomer. If anything, it is NOT obedient in any way. I don't have it in my gardens any more as it's way too invasive and it's kind of a lanky, unruly plant.
  • Susan B Susan B on May 05, 2012
    Try the version "Miss Manners". It's an obedient plant that is actually obedient -- forms a clump and stays put.
  • Colleen L Colleen L on May 05, 2012
    The flower looks kind of like Honeysuckle.
  • Carol S Carol S on May 05, 2012
    looks like a foxglove.
  • Mary anne Z Mary anne Z on May 05, 2012
    i think it looks like foxglove
  • Geri M Geri M on May 05, 2012
    I do believe it is the Turtlehead plant. I had one in my wildflower bed at my old house.
  • John W John W on May 05, 2012
    obedient plant
  • Laura G Laura G on May 05, 2012
    could it be a Hosta bloom?
  • Kelly S Kelly S on May 05, 2012
    Looks like the foxglove that volunteered in my back yard. Don't let animals or children get a hold of it. Foxglove is where they get digitalis, the heart drug. It can kill if ingested.
  • Sandra R Sandra R on May 05, 2012
    It really looks like an obedient plant. A picture of the bottom foliage would help. Does it spread through the roots?
  • Cindy M Cindy M on May 05, 2012
    It just appeared this year, in a spot that if it spreads is no big deal, so we're going to keep it and see what happens. It's also mixed in with mint. Literally a wild garden area. Thanks again everybody!
  • BONNIE J BONNIE J on May 05, 2012
    HONEYSUKLE IS A VINE. OBEDIENT PLANT IS QUITE UNRULY IT SEEMS!
  • Judy W Judy W on May 05, 2012
    Here we call these foxglove. I have found it easier to have wildflower gardens, they are so much easier to have and always give me surprises as to color. A big plus has been -----NO WEEDING and more time to enjoy the garden. The foxglove provides such a great background for the wild violets, spider wort, along with the jack in the pulpit, verbenas, wild mint, and pink primroses.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on May 06, 2012
    Foxglove, or Digitalis, is a different plant. The blooms are not as outfacing as on the somewhat ironically named obedient plant, or Physotegia.
  • Jean M Jean M on May 06, 2012
    looks like foxglove to me :)
  • Phyllis P Phyllis P on May 06, 2012
    Yes, foxglove - or digitalis is the botannical name.
  • Debi M Debi M on May 06, 2012
    Foxgloves make a nice backdrop in a mixed flower garden because of their height.
  • Gloria W Gloria W on May 06, 2012
    Beard Tongue
  • Judy W Judy W on May 07, 2012
    Just found the handiest website---uswildflowers.com You can search their database by state, identification of flowers made simple divided by color. Books, websites, journals, maps of areas found, etc. Also common names (average of at least 4 for every flower listed so everybody is right) ----Except the buttercup. buttercup is only yellow.
  • Debi M Debi M on May 07, 2012
    Gloria K, Dragon Tongue (Beard Tongue) has much smaller flowers and does not grow quite as tall as Foxglove I plant Dragon Tongue in front of Foxglove so I am very familiar with it. Also Dragon Tongue has a "spike" with the flowers on it, where as FoxGlove has leaves and flowers on the same stem
  • Gloria W Gloria W on May 07, 2012
    It sure is not foxglove...cause I've got them planted dosen't look anything like this. Did some research and it is the OBEDIENT PLANT. Which comes in white and pink .
  • Angela G Angela G on May 07, 2012
    Foxgloves...love them!
  • Linda G Linda G on May 07, 2012
    Digitalis
  • Beverly P Beverly P on May 07, 2012
    Foxglove, same thing.
  • Carol M Carol M on May 08, 2012
    obedient plant has it! I have both fox glove & obedient plant. Obedient is just a little more fragile than fox glove that groves wild here.Both are beautiful in my garden..
  • Beverly P Beverly P on May 15, 2012
    You are right, foxglove does look so similar that it is onviously easy to confuse. Guess I better go back to school huh? Lol...sorry for faux pas.
  • Debi M Debi M on May 16, 2012
    Whatever it is, it is beautiful, wish I had some in my garden
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on May 16, 2012
    Debi, you could certainly grow obedient plant in North Carolina.
  • Sandra R Sandra R on May 16, 2012
    I have so many I have to pull them out! I'm replanting them along the woods line. They can go nuts there.
  • Jenni C. Jenni C. on Jan 31, 2015
    Obedient plant...I have them in a fuscia tone.
  • Bkgriffga Bkgriffga on Feb 01, 2015
    Its Digitalis,or common name Foxglove
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Apr 19, 2015
    OBEDIENT plant, come in pale pinks-lavender and white..They are anything but what the name implies.. great ground cover for a shaded side. plant one and next year its 3 ft. next year its 5 ft... easy to pull up, travel on underground runners..so be careful where you put them.. I love them in arrangements.. My white one is about 12 in high, lavender is about 3 ft, pink mid size..I stake my lavender one otherwise with wind it can flop over.. BEEs LOVE them, great next to a veg garden.... for pollination.
  • Pam Kaiser Pam Kaiser on Apr 26, 2015
    Obedient plant. It is in the mint family so can be invasive, but very pretty I think. It is not related to Foxglove.
  • Mimi Haywood Mimi Haywood on Apr 27, 2015
    Beard Tounge known also as False Foxglove from Figwort Family Penstemon genus, very closely resembles the Obedient Plant also known as False Dragonhead which prefers moist soil while the Beard Toungue which grows wild also,I found growing roadside just past the lava flows in the New Mexico mostly dry semi-desert. Gathered seed and brought them home to try in the mountains. Time will tell.
  • Verilea poole Verilea poole on May 18, 2015
    Foxglove
  • Jean M Jean M on May 22, 2015
    don't let your cat or dog chew it up if you have either. :(....bad for them.
  • BettyLou BettyLou on Jun 04, 2015
    I thought it was Foxglove, son has quite a few of them. Our dogs seem to leave them alone. Have not heard of other names, but I don't know a lot about them. Tried to get some of the seeds into one of my flower beds by placing stem on dirt but think the seeds had already been spent so no flowers this year in my bed. Son still had blooms though.
  • Katherine Katherine on Jun 27, 2015
    That's definitely obedient plant. I call it disobedient plant because the dark pink/purple ones are outrageously invasive! They send runners under the soil and pop up everywhere! The white ones are NOT invasive.
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jun 27, 2015
    agree with Katherine from NC.. Obedient plant.. comes in white, pale pink, lavender, maybe more.. My white one IS invasive..... make nice filler in arrangements.. the lavender one I have grown about 4 ft tall,,
  • Wbirnbaum Wbirnbaum on Sep 19, 2015
    obedient plant - available in pink and also white
  • Laura Laura on Jun 16, 2016
    Definitely a foxglove. The drug digitalis is derived from this plant.
  • Debra Spencer Debra Spencer on Jun 21, 2016
    Digitalis Foxy, aka: foxglove . The drug digitalis was derived from this plant .....can be poisonous if ingested
  • Brenda Brenda on Jun 21, 2016
    Foxglove
  • Patricia Harris Patricia Harris on Jun 23, 2016
    It's definitely a foxglove, my mother had them in her garden when I was a child, I am 70 now and still remember them, they're gorgeous.
  • Patricia Harris Patricia Harris on Jun 23, 2016
    I don't know where they got Canada from? I'm English and live in Spain!!!
  • Carey Carey on Oct 08, 2016
    If it is a large plant it is Foxglove. If it is a similar shape but a small flower not a heavy Stem with large leaves it may be an obedient plant. The obedient plant has small bell shaped flowers that bloom up the stem in succession. The Foxglove has a large bell shipped flower that also blooms up the stem in succession but tends to have more flowers in bloom at a time. IT is also a Bi-annual which means that it grows on year, blooms the next and then dies. I didn't have much success with it seeding and continuing to propagate but the Obedient plant seeds prolifically and multiplies quickly. Do a google search for https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&r... or https://www.google.com/search?q=Obedient+Plan... for photo's of foxglove and then obedient plant. My first thought was Foxglove, but after looking at the picture, I wonder if it isn't actually an Obedient Plant
  • Sue Kiene Sue Kiene on Oct 23, 2016
    my thought was obedient plant as well.
  • Stephanie corley Stephanie corley on Oct 23, 2016
    It looks like an obedient. You can bend the stem and it will remain bent for a good while thus the name....