# False Dragonhead (*Physostegia purpurea*)

The False Dragonhead is a beautiful flower that looks like a dragon's head! It has lovely purple and white petals and grows in clusters, making gardens bright and cheerful.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![False Dragonhead](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Physostegia_purpurea_corolla_and_calyx.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Physostegia_purpurea_corolla_and_calyx.jpg)

## Appearance

The False Dragonhead has upright, square stems topped with dense spikes of rosy-pink to purplish, tubular flowers. Its blossoms are uniquely shaped, resembling a dragon's head with a wide-open mouth, making it stand out among other meadow plants.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Lamiaceae
- **Genus:** Physostegia

## Interesting facts

- Hummingbirds zoom in to sip sweet nectar from its pink blooms.
- It can quickly spread with hidden roots, making new plants pop up!
- Push its flowers gently, and they actually stay in their new spot!
- This plant is a cousin to mint, but its leaves don't smell minty!

## Special abilities

- **Obedient Blooms:** False Dragonhead can swivel its flowers and they stay put, like magic! This helps them attract pollinators from different directions.
- **Rhizome Power:** False Dragonhead has underground stems called rhizomes that help it spread and create new plants, establishing its territory easily.
- **Square Stems:** False Dragonhead has strong, square-shaped stems that make it sturdy and stand tall in windy conditions, keeping its beautiful flowers upright.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from the blooms.
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Visits the flowers for energy-rich nectar.
- **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Sips sweet nectar with its long slender beak.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify False Dragonhead?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is False Dragonhead?

30-90 cm

### How wide does False Dragonhead spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on False Dragonhead?

2-3 cm

### When does False Dragonhead bloom?

Summer to Fall

### Is False Dragonhead edible?

No

### Is False Dragonhead toxic?

None

### What is False Dragonhead's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [False Dragonhead: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/false-dragonhead)