Perennial Phlox for Your Garden

Phlox (pronounced "flocks") is a genus of perennial flower that blooms in early spring. They are native mainly to temperate North America, with a few species in eastern Asia. Phlox range in color from pale blue to bright red to white. Some species such as Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima) grow to 1.5 m tall, while others, such as Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera), form low mats only a few centimetres in height. Phlox is best grown in well-drained soil, exposed to partial shade to partial sun. The foliage of Phlox is sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Dot Moth, Gazoryctra wielgusi and Hummingbird Hawk-moth. The plant is also popular with rabbits and deer if no other food source is available.

Phlox, an important genus of valuable garden plants, includes reliable and colorful species that bloom both early and late, in sun and shade, and in a range of rich colors that is equaled by few other genera. In addition, the glorious summer bloomers often have a spicy vanilla-clove perfume that is perfectly enchanting. We are, therefore, distressed to see Phlox falling out of favor for reasons that we suspect relate to problems with powdery mildew, which is much less common in modern varieties, or if plants are grown in soil that doesn't dry out. Phlox are backbone plants for any well-bred border.

Some of our Favorite Phlox:

Bright Eyes Tall Phlox Dozens of spicy-scented florets cover each 6-10" flower head with red-eyed pink blooms in mid-summer. Bright Eyes Tall Phlox has 3' stems with 2' spread.

Carpet White Phlox No other plant spreads so lavishly, needs so little attention, flowers so profusely with so little care. Needlelike semi-evergreen ground cover in early to mid-spring. Grows only 2-6" high with a neat creeping habit. White Delight Carpet Phlox thrives anywhere, even in poor, dry, sandy soil where other ground covers fails. Space 12-18".

Tenor Tall Phlox Enjoy brilliant scarlet red color and spicy fragrance for weeks beginning in mid-summer. These Tenor Tall Phlox reach a height of up to 36" with a spread of 18-24". Smooth, lance-shaped leaves cover the strong stems.

Phlox Planting Tips:

Phlox carolina, P. maculata, & P. paniculata (Garden Phlox)

Grow all three in full sun (or partial shade in the South) and moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Divide P. paniculata every few years, replanting sections from the edge of the clump and discarding the woody center.

P. paniculata and, to a lesser extent, P. carolina and P. maculata are susceptible to powdery mildew, especially in dry soil. Water deeply during dry spells to reduce the incidence of disease, and dust with sulfur (available at most garden centers) beginning in early summer. Thinning half of the shoots when 6 inches tall in spring (to allow better air circulation) also helps keep mildew at bay and encourages plants to produce larger and longer-lasting flower heads.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Polemoniaceae
Genus: Phlox

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Species

Phlox adsurgens - Northern Phlox
Phlox alyssifolia
Phlox andicola
Phlox austromontana
Phlox bifida - Sand Phlox
Phlox borealis
Phlox bryoides
Phlox buckleyi - Swordleaf Phlox
Phlox caespitosa - Cushion Phlox
Phlox carolina - Thickleaf Phlox
Phlox cuspidata - Pointed Phlox
Phlox diffusa - Spreading Phlox
Phlox diffusaPhlox divaricata - Blue Phlox or Woodland Phlox
Phlox douglasii
Phlox drummondii - Drummond Phlox
Phlox floridana - Florida Phlox
Phlox glaberrima - Smooth Phlox
Phlox idahonis - Idaho Phlox
Phlox kelseyi - Kelsey's Phlox
Phlox maculata - Meadow Phlox
Phlox missoulensis - Missoula Phlox
Phlox multiflora - Flowery Phlox, Rocky Mountain Phlox
Phlox nana - Santa Fe Phlox
Phlox nivalis - Trailing Phlox
Phlox ovata - Mountain Phlox
Phlox paniculata - Summer Phlox
Phlox pilosa - Prairie Phlox
Phlox pulchra - Alabama Phlox
Phlox flowersPhlox sibirica - Siberian Phlox
Phlox speciosa - Bush Phlox
Phlox stolonifera - Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata - Moss Phlox