Origin: North America
Family: Polemoniaceae
Genus: Phlox
Order: Ericales
History: Phlox is a wildflower stretching across North America — from Florida all the way to Quebec and Alaska. It’s considered to be a classic American perennial, and it was one of the earliest North American natives to enter cultivation. Particularly, all species of phlox are popular with pollinators. Though phlox flowers ar hugely diverse, the perennial can loosely be grouped into two types: spring bloomers and summer bloomers.
What’s in a Name?: There are many common names for garden phlox, including fall phlox, summer phlox and perennial phlox.
Typical Appearance: Though there can be variation, a typical phlox is a tubular flower with five petals.
Colors: White, pink, magenta, purple and blue. Some species even show orange or red coloration.
Spring Bloomers: Phlox subulata (creeping phlox, moss pinks)
Summer Bloomers: Tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), Phlox glaberimma and Plox pilosa
Popular Varieties:
- LUMINARY Phlox paniculata
- Opening Act Phlox hybrid
- Fashionably Early Phlox paniculata
- Jeana Phlox paniculata
- SPRING BLING Phlox subulata
- Drummond’s Pink Phlox subulata
Did You Know?: Phlox flowers can symbolize compatibility, partnership, harmony and unity.
Breeders: Pinetree, Urban Farmer, Gardener’s, American Meadows, Gurney’s, Park Seed, Breck’s, Harris Seeds, Jung Seed, Select Seeds, Osborne Quality Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Silver Falls, Burpee, Proven Winners, True Leaf Market
Source: National Garden Bureau
