Phlox subulata

Phlox subulata the creeping phlox, moss phlox,[1] moss pink or mountain phlox, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to eastern and central USA, and widely cultivated.

Phlox subulata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Polemoniaceae
Genus: Phlox
Species:
P. subulata
Binomial name
Phlox subulata
Phlox subulata in an ornamental planting beneath a cherry tree at Yachounomori Garden in Annaka, Gunma

The odor given off by the plants may be mistaken for that of marijuana.[2]

Description

Growing to about 13 cm (5 in) high at most and covering a 50 cm (20 in) wide area, it is an evergreen perennial forming mats or cushions of hairy, linear leaves. The small, five-petaled flowers bloom in rose, mauve, blue, white, or pink in late spring to early summer.[3] Its habitats include rocky ledges, slopes and clearings.[4]

Taxonomy

The Latin specific epithet subulata means awl- or needle-shaped[5] which refers to its leaves.[6]

Cultivation

The plant is cultivated as a front-of-border or groundcover plant. Requiring full sun and well-drained soil, it is very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to −20 °C (−4 °F), and is suitable for hardiness zones USDA 3 to 9. It grows in sandy or gravely soil.[6]

Cultivars

The following cultivars have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[7]

  • 'Kelly's Eye'[8] (pink)
  • 'McDaniel's Cushion'[9] (deep pink)
  • 'Red Wings'[10] (carmine red)

See also

Phlox stolonifera

References
  1. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. "Police sorry for drug raid mix-up". BBC News. BBC. 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  3. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  4. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  5. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  6. "Phlox subulata - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  7. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 78. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  8. "Phlox 'Kelly's Eye'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  9. "RHS Plant Selector - Phlox subulata 'McDaniel's Cushion'". Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  10. "Phlox subulata 'Red Winga'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.

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