Penstemon cobae, aka Wild Foxglove?

Sally

No. And BTW, I was with two older ladies that grew up here in Texas, and they named the plant for me. I would never have been able to guess what it was.

Oh, I want a Penstemon cobaea
Linda, how lucky y'all were to see one growing naturally
Thanks for posting it
jolana

What??? I think they were pulling your leg, lol

Here is a link that might be useful: Penstemon cobaea

The is a good size patch of wild foxglove growing beside Evans road on the way to ARE in San Antonio.

Okay, Linda, if it isn't the foxglove, what is it ????? Huh, huh , huh?????

OK, so far you all are not correct. The ladies identified the beautiful plants as OBEDIENT PLANT Physostegia virginiana.

Looks more like Penstemon cobaea to me...we are planning to be in the Hallettsville area the end of this month. Is the Herb Cottage hard to find? Thanks.

OK, but like I said, I don't have the knowledge, and they got out and took the pictures and picked a couple and brought them back to Rockport. Like I said, I was clueless, but one of the ladies is a retired botanist, so I just trusted her opinion.

OK, The Herb Cottage is north of Hallettsville. If you want to go there, you need to call Cindy first to make sure she will be at home since she doesn't keep regular hours. All of the information you need is on her website.

I have no clue, LOL! But check out the bloom time on the obedient plant??

Kristi

LouLou said was an obedient plant because:

The common name "obedient plant" results from the fact that the flowers will remain in place after being moved.

She actually demonstrated it to us.

You know what! We should smack that stupid flower around some. How's come they never look like the dern picture????
It does look like foxglove but I wouldn't be surpised if it was an Obedient plant being cute. :^) PJ

Wow, I'm truly surprised! I have obedient plant and the blooms on mine do not have a "foxglove" look to me. I've had them for years and they never bloom in April...actually more like June or July. Very interesting.
Molly

Now this is all very interesting. Like I said, I have no idea other than what was told to me. I was driving, so I didn't really check it out that well.

I know that the Penstemon cobaea is in the Acanthaceae (Acanthus Family). The Obedient Plant is in the Mint family (Lamiaceae) which would have a square stem. I'll check with LouLou and see if she still has the flower and/or if she remembers. I'll keep you all informed.

So, did y'all lean the ones over that are down?
I believe that it could be and maybe this screwy weather made them bloom earlier
Whatever it is, I'm glad it is alive and blooming in TX, now....where is it at so I can go get it, LOL

One thing I notice is on the penstemmon the flowers are tubular but then flare out, where on the obediant plant they are more tubular all the way out - so I can see how it could be an obediant plant. But I agree, there are so many that look so much alike that unless you are a botanist or horticulturist, you can easily be fooled.

Your Article says it blooms in September...duh it's now April..LOL...Jeanne

LOL PJ...

It looks like the plant Txtomato bought.
I forget the name.

It sure is pretty.

Mystery solved by Jeanne. I think that you figured it out. DUH! Why didn't I notice the information differences about Physostegia virginiana which blooms in Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and the Penstemon cobaea which blooms in Apr, May?

Thank you for solving the mystery.

I've got both wild foxglove in my yard & obedient plant, and that first photo looks like my foxglove. Obedient plant leaves are more cylindrical and jagged.

My native obedient plant blooms in the fall, not spring and it looks like the link for obedient plant provided by ltcollins, not the photo in the first post.

I would have to agree that is definitely NOT obedient plant. I have had this plant forever in my garden, in my mother's before me and so on. Neither the leaves nor the bloom looks like obedient plant which blooms much later in the season. I like it because it is around for the hummmers and butterflies when others are not.

Well I just got off the phone with Ruth, the other lady with us, and she and I decided that you all are right about it not being an obedient plant, but rather a wild foxglove. But since LouLou, age 84, was so excited about finding it that we have just decided to let her believe that it is an obedient plant and not burst her bubble.

Thanks everyone!

Aww....how cute.

"But since LouLou, age 84, was so excited about finding it that we have just decided to let her believe that it is an obedient plant and not burst her bubble."
Aww...how sweet!!..Will everyone promise that when I get that age..that they'll allow me my thoughts of delusion as well..LMBO!!..
Think at that age...I'm gonna need all the triumphs that my gardening finds can muster...I thought the blooms different than obedient plant and immediately thought of wild foxglove...Jeanne

Jeanne, honey, we already do. HAHAHAHAHA

I know y'all let me sometimes, lol

Linda that is sweet, now gimmee that plant, lol

I just hope at 84 I can remember my own name! I'm getting so forgetful now I think dh must be secretly scouting nursing homes for me.

Oh duh..what is my name??!?!?!..Who am I? Where am I going??..Why am I here?...

LOL, you are here to show us your pretty gardens
and entertain us, lol

oh ok..I musta forgot!!..Tee hee...now where is my website??..Hmmm....Hopeless..I guess!!

Feel free to come dig up as much obedient plant as you want from my yard. The real stuff, not some pretend flower.
They usually bloom about September. Good for the fall migration of the hummers.
Tally HO!

I might just take you up on that. After researching them, I have fallen in love with them, and since I'm one of the Rockport Hummer Homes they would be an added bonus to attract hummers. My DH has to be in Galveston the first part of June, so I might ride up with him and meet up with you to get some. Thanks!

Just to confuse things, there is a spring blooming obedient plant, but I forgot it's Latin name. I'll have to look it up. It doesn't look like the plant in the photo, though. It's more of a light purple, but a little darker than lavender.

I agree that I'd be lucky to remember my own name by the time I reach 84. How cool that she's out and about going wildflower hunting! What fun.

Sally

This was such a funny read!!! I'm thinking by 84 I'll be dead, and if not I'm gonna research my own nursing home..LOL
I wanna play bingo and have someone do my cooking and cleaning for me...a hot tub would be nice too...LOL
Dena

Sally,

My friend Ruth, that was with us, said that she also has heard of a flower named the "false obedient" plant. She is trying to find her book that describes it.

Yes, I agree about the age 84 comments. LouLou is just incredible for her age. She is an active Master Gardener, funny, sharp and very knowledgeable. She works one day a week at the Extension Office, is on our Tree Team where we go out and check problem trees in the county, writes gardening articles and still gives gardening programs. She probably has forgotten more than I have even known. Two years ago, we went down to the Herb Festival at South Padre Island. She had us laughing the whole way!