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Phlox

Phlox (FLOCKS)

Family: Polemoniaceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Phlox is a genus in the Polemoniaceae family with 68 species of annual and perennial flowering plants.. They are mostly native to North America and are native to a variety of habitats. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek word phlox meaning flame in reference to the intense flower colors Habitats range from full sun in moist, fertile soils to drier woodland sites in partial shade. They range in size from up to 5 feet tall to low-growing and spreading groundcover types. Allow good air-flow around plants to help prevent powdery mildew. Proagation is by seed, stem cuttings and division Phlox are known for abundant blooms and a light fragrance that comes in a variety of colors. Many cultivars are available. Choose a tall variety for the border or a low-growing ground cover for your native/pollinator or cottage gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for spider mites, phlox bugs and stem nematodes. Diseases include powdery mildew, leaf spot and root or crown rot.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 51 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Hesperis matronalis

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Creeping; Dense; Erect; Horizontal; Mounding; Prostrate
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Linear; Ovate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Usually have narrow opposite or alternate leaves
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Cyme; Panicle
Flower shape
Dome; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
All species have five sepals, five petals fused, and five stamens that alternate with the lobes of the corolla.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Alaska to New England and south to Mexico and Florida.
Wildlife value
Phlox attract butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and small mammals.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Colorful; Easy to Grow
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Riparian; Slope/Bank; Small Space; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Children's Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#riparian #dry soils tolerant #hummingbird friendly #cottage garden #red flowers #native wildflower #showy flowers #well-drained soil #clumping #easy to grow #lavender flowers #mounding #creeping #small mammals #native groundcover #white flowers #summer flowers #native garden #pink flowers #colorful #fragrant flowers #black walnut toxicity tolerant #children's garden #sandy soils tolerant #native annual #moist soil #native perennial #clay soils tolerant #spring flowers #self-seeding #rock garden #full sun tolerant #rabbit browsing plant #small spaces #butterfly friendly #container plant #upright form #dense growth #cutting garden #pollinator plant #partial shade tolerant #moth friendly #th-smell #cpp #NC native #NC Native Pollinator Plant #woodland #fpp
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Phlox Plant Bug and Other Lopidea Plant Bugs; Fourlined Plant Bug; Oriental Beetle
Disease problems
Black Root Rot on Ornamental Plants; Phytophthora Blight and Root Rot on Annuals and Herbaceous Perennials
Other problems
Cottontail Rabbit
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Deer; Drought; Erosion; Heat; Pollution
Propagation
Division; Seed; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.