Showy False Dragonhead
Physostegia pulchellanative · Central Texas
Showy False Dragonhead is a perennial wildflower native to Central Texas that grows 2–3 ft tall and 1 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and medium water, and handles clay soil. Blooms red and purple in Apr–Jun. Good for bees and nectar insects.
Wet ground only. Usually found in wetlands and creek bottoms. It wants reliably moist ground and struggles in a dry upland bed.
Will it grow in your yard?
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The facts
5 sources- Type
- Perennial wildflower
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (3–6 hrs of direct sun)
- Water
- Medium
- Height
- 2–3 ft
- Spread
- 1 ft
- Bloom
- Apr–Jun · red, purple
- Foliage
- Deciduous or dies back in winter
- Soil
- Takes clay · recorded on clay, moist, sand
- Wildlife
- Supports bees and nectar insects
Where it grows
Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:
Northern Blackland PrairieSouthern Post Oak SavannaFloodplains and Low TerracesSan Antonio Prairie
1 occurrence record in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.