tall, 
creeping
Common name: Phlox
Family:Polemoniaceae, Phlox
Height x width:6"-48" x 12-24" varying with species
Growth rate, habit: moderate; upright (photo courtesy tgalmanac, photobucket.com)
Foliage: opposite, varies with species
Flowers: color varies with species but generally bluish, purple, red, pink or white; spring to late summer depending on species; 5 petals often notched
Hardiness: zones 3 or 4 to 8 or 9, depending on species
Soil: moist
Light: varies
Pests and Problems: on most species powdery mildew and mites are major problems; chewing from small mammals as rabbits and woodchucks; also occasionally leaf spots, botrytis blight, nematodes
Landscape habit, uses: depending on species border, natural area, cutting
Other interest: all species are native to North America; name is same in Greek.
Other culture: remove spent flower heads from paniculata; usually need spraying for mites and mildew
Propagation: seed (2500 seeds per ounce), division in spring (most common), fall root cuttings of paniculata and some species, summer tip cuttings of divaricata and some species
Species:
Bloom time if not spring refers to summer. The following are the most
available and popular.
| Species | zone | flowers | bloom | light | height | other |
| x arendsii | 4-8 | various | late | sun | 2-4' | divaricata x paniculata |
| bifida | 6-8 | lavender blue | spring | sun | 12" | mounded |
| carolina | 5-8 | pink to purple | spring | sun | 3' | mildew resistant |
| divaricata | 4-9 | blue, fragrant | early | shade | 1' | buds untwist |
| douglasii | 5-8 | various | spring | sun | 10" | mat-forming |
| glaberrima | 4-8 | pink to purple | early | sun | 2-3' | rhizomatous |
| maculata | 4-8 | various, conical | mid | sun | 2-3' | mildew resistant |
| ovata | 5-8 | pink to purple | spring | sun | 1-2' | creeping and erect |
| paniculata | 4-8 | various, rounded | late | sun | 2-4' | crosses readily |
| pilosa | 4-8 | rose to pink | mid | sun | 18" | stoloniferous |
| x procumbens | 4-8 | purple to pink | early | sun | 1' | stolonifera x subulata |
| stolonifera | 4-8 | various, 2-3/cyme | early | shade | 6" | creeping and erect |
| subulata | 3-9 | various, small | spring | sun | 3-6" | groundcover |
Cultivars:
The following are the most common and available in the U.S. Cultivars
of subulata often combine many other species.
| Cultivar | species | flowers | other |
| 'Alpha' | maculata | rose, dark eye | |
| 'Anita Kistler' | glaberrima | bright pink | compact |
| 'Anja' | x arendsii | reddish purple | |
| 'Apple Blossom' | subulata | pale pink lilac | darker eye |
| 'Atropurpurea' | subulata | wine red | |
| 'Blue Boy' | paniculata | lavender blue | 3' tall |
| 'Blue Hills' | subulata | deep blue | notched flowers |
| 'Blue Emerald' | subulata | blue | |
| 'Blue Ridge' | stolonifera | blue lilac | popular |
| 'Bright Eyes' | paniculata | pale pink | crimson eye |
| 'Bruce's White' | stolonifera | white, yellow eye | |
| 'Candy Stripe' | subulata | white, pink stripes | |
| 'Caroline van den Berg' | paniculata | rich purple | |
| 'Clouds of Perfume' | divaricata | pale blue | fragrant |
| 'Coral Eye' | subulata | pinkish white | coral eye |
| 'Crimson Beauty' | subulata | rose red | |
| 'David' | paniculata | white | best mildew resistance |
| 'Delta' | maculata | white, rose eye | |
| 'Dirigo Ice' | divaricata | icy blue | 8-12" |
| 'Dodo Hanbury Forbes' | paniculata | rose pink | large panicles |
| 'Dorffreude' | paniculata | deep pink | red eye, 3' tall |
| 'Dresden China' | paniculata | pastel pink | darker eye |
| 'Eco Happy Traveller' | pilosa | deep rose | fragrant |
| 'Eva Cullum' | paniculata | pink | dark red eye |
| 'Fairest One' | paniculata | salmon pink | dark red eye |
| 'Fairy's Petticoat' | paniculata | pale pink | large panicles, darker eyes |
| 'Fort Hill' | subulata | rosy pink | fragrant, deeply cut |
| 'Fran's Purple' | stolonifera | starry lilac | 8-10" |
| 'Franz Schubert' | paniculata | lilac | star darker eye |
| 'Fuller's White' | divaricata | white | 8-12" |
| 'Harlequin' | paniculata | violet blue | variegated leaves, poor vigor |
| 'H.B. May' | paniculata | bright pink | large panicles, 3-4' tall |
| 'Hilda' | x arendsii | mauve | |
| 'Homefires' | stolonifera | rich pink | showy |
| 'Interior' | glaberrima | deep purple red | |
| 'Irridescens' | stolonifera | blue-mauve | iridescent |
| 'Juliet' | paniculata | pale pink | white eye, 2' tall |
| 'Katherine' | paniculata | lavender | 2-3' tall |
| var. laphamii | divaricata | dark blue | 18" |
| var. laphamii 'Chattahoochee' | divaricata | ||
| 'Leo Schlageter' | paniculata | bright red | old cv., 30" tall |
| 'Lilac Time' | paniculata | lilac blue | large panicles |
| 'London Grove Blue' | divaricata | deep blue | fragrant |
| 'Louisiana' | divaricata | purple blue | magenta eye |
| 'Maiden's Blush' | subulata | pink, red eye | |
| 'Mia Ruys' | paniculata | white | compact, 2' tall |
| 'Millstream' | x procumbens | rose, dark stripes | trailing |
| 'Millstream Daphne' | subulata | pink, dark eye | compact, vigorous |
| 'Millstream Jupiter' | subulata | blue, yellow eye | |
| 'Miss Lingard' | carolina | white | old cv. |
| 'Morris Berd' | glaberrima | rose pink | |
| 'Mrs. R.P. Struthers' | paniculata | scarlet | deep green leaves |
| 'Mt. Fuji' (Mt. Fujiyama) | paniculata | white | worst for mildew |
| 'Natascha' | maculata | pink, white star | 2' tall |
| 'Newbird' | paniculata | plum red | |
| 'Nora Leigh' | paniculata | pink lavender | creamy leaves, green center |
| 'Omega' | maculata | white, lilac eye | floriferous |
| 'Orange Perfection' | paniculata | salmon orange | small red eye |
| 'Othello' | paniculata | depp red | long bloom |
| 'Ozarkiana' | pilosa | pink, white center | fragrant |
| 'Pinafore Pink' | paniculata | pale pink | red eye, 12-15" tall |
| 'Pink Emerald' | subulata | pink | emerald green foliage |
| 'Pink Gown' | paniculata | rose | 24-30" tall |
| 'Pink Ridge' | stolonifera | dark pink | 6" tall mats |
| 'Prime Minister' | paniculata | white, pink tint | red eye |
| 'Red Wings' | subulata | rose red | vigorous |
| 'Rosalinde' | maculata | dark pink | |
| 'Russian Violet' | paniculata | purple violet | large panicles, 3-4' tall |
| 'Sandra' | paniculata | scarlet | 2' tall |
| 'Scarlet Flame' | subulata | deep scarlet | darker eye |
| 'Schneewitchen':'Snow White' | subulata | ||
| 'Sherwood Purple' | stolonifera | purple blue | fragrant, popular |
| 'Sir John Falstaff' | paniculata | salmon pink | large panicles, 2-3' tall |
| 'Snowflake' | subulata | white | compact, floriferous |
| 'Snow White' | subulata | white, small | small plants |
| 'Spring Delight' | hybrid | rose pink | paniculata x stolonifera |
| 'Starfire' | paniculata | cherry red | striking color |
| 'Sternhimmel' | paniculata | light lavender | 2-3' tall |
| 'Susanne' | x arendsii | white, red eye | |
| 'Tamanonagalei':'Candy Stripe' | subulata | ||
| 'Tenor' | paniculata | rosy scarlet | early |
| 'The King' | paniculata | purple lavender | 2-3' tall |
| 'Triflorum' | glaberrima | pink, groups of 3 | 8-12" tall |
| 'Variegata' | x procumbens | mauve pink | dark leaves edged white |
| 'White Admiral' | paniculata | white | worst for mildew |
| 'White Delight' | subulata | white | open habit |
| 'Windsor' | paniculata | pale rose | salmon eye |
| 'World Peace' ('Pax') | paniculata | white | late, glossy leaves |
('David' photo courtesy Missouri Botanical Gardens plantfinder)
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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