Physostegia virginiana, 'Obedient Plant'

Physostegia virginiana Obedient Plant

For those with a keen eye, it is interesting to note the inclusion of this flower in the bouquets presented to medal winners at the Beijing Olympic Games. Not a Chinese perennial plant but from east North America where it occurs from Minnesota ,south to North Carolina,Tennessee and Missouri. In Australia ,it is a very hardy plant adaptable to both sub-tropical climates and cold temperate. It is a rampant grower sending out underground stems in all directions, but that said ,it is a good cut flower with strong stiff stems and pretty flowers in shades of white, pale and dark pink. It gets the name 'Obedient Plant' because the individual flowers on the stalk (the pedicel) are malleable and remain fixed when moved. It is a perfect florist's flower as no wire is needed to hold the flower in place. Plants are not readily available anymore but may be available when in flower during summer.
 2017 update: Nice to see it returning to being available again and seeing it on Nursery tubestock lists though I probably won't be growing it commercially again at this stage.