Perennial phlox is a tall summer wildflower native to much of the central and eastern United States. Its fragrant pink-purple to white flowers form broad clusters from midsummer into early fall, and many colorful garden varieties are available. It is also called garden phlox.
Appearance
- Growth form
- This clump-forming usually stands 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) tall on stiff, upright stems.
- Leaves
- The pointed leaves grow opposite each other on the stem and have conspicuous curved side veins.
- Flowers
- Each fragrant flower has a long tube and five flat lobes. Many flowers crowd together in a rounded cluster at the top of the stem.
- Flowering time
- In much of the United States, it blooms from July through September.
- Fruit
- The fruit is a small with three chambers, usually holding two seeds in each chamber.
Look-alikes
Moss phlox forms a low, matlike carpet. Perennial phlox grows upright to 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) and holds large flower clusters at the tops of its stems.
Why they get mixed upBoth can have five-lobed pink, purple, or white phlox flowers.
Spotted phlox has purple-spotted stems and a long, narrow flower cluster. Perennial phlox usually has a broader, rounded cluster.
Why they get mixed upBoth grow tall and bloom in summer with pink, purple, or white flowers.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- moist open woods
- stream banks
- garden borders
- Range
- It is native across a broad part of the central and eastern United States, from New England and the Midwest south into the Southeast. It has also escaped gardens and become naturalized outside parts of its native range.
- Preferred conditions
- It grows best in sun to light shade with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Good air circulation helps keep the leaves healthy.
- Flowering
Flowers Jul–Sep
Flowers Jul–Sep
Growing it
- Propagation
- It can grow from seed, but seedlings from named may not look like the parent plant.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- Garden cultivars come in white, lavender, pink, rose, red, and bicolored flowers. Common examples include 'David', 'Jeana', 'Bright Eyes', and 'Laura'.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Status
- Some state populations can be uncommon despite widespread garden cultivation.
- Threats
- , root rot, phlox bugs, and spider mites can damage garden plants.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Gardeners often place this tall flower toward the back of a perennial border.
- The genus name Phlox comes from a Greek word for flame, referring to the vivid flowers of some members of the genus.
10 sources
- Garden phlox — Hokkaido University
- Phlox paniculata — North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Oidium sp.에 의한 풀협죽도 흰가루병 발생
- Phlox paniculata — Plants of the World Online
- Vascular Plants of Dokdo and Ulleungdo Island in Korea — Phlox paniculata
- iNaturalist taxon API: Phlox paniculata
- Phlox
- Spotted Phlox — NC State Extension
- Phlox paniculata — Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- フロックス・パニキュラータ — 北海道立総合研究機構