Posted by
JuniperAnn (Coastal TX (Sunset 28/31) - Zone 9a) on Apr 26, 2019 5:32 PM concerning plant:
This is a well-behaved variety of phyostegia virginiana ssp. virginiana, a North American native member of the mint family that's usually pretty aggressive. The white flowers are pretty, but subtle enough that I'd recommend a mass of at least 5 plants for it to stand out.
The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center says it will grow in sun, part shade, and full shade.
That is true, but you won't get any flowers in full shade. My 3 plants survived in full shade for a year, then thrived in part shade for two years. Then all 3 disappeared during an unremarkable winter while everything around them stayed healthy. I haven't seen anything about a short lifespan for this plant, and it has a distinctive enough look that I don't think I would've accidentally weeded it out. On the other hand, it died shortly after my 2nd child was born, so for all I know maybe I ate it while hallucinating from sleep deprivation. *shrug*
It stayed under 18" for me, even in full shade, and never needed staking. I would recommend it as an attractive edging plant if I knew that the short lifespan wasn't a regular feature.