Plant Type

Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Pink, White, Multi-Colored

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Patio

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Garden phlox bloom mid to late summer, providing a cool pallet during the hottest summer months. The plants form upright clumps with narrow, lance-like foliage in deep green. Flowers appear in clusters at the tips of the branches, and come in colors from white through every pink imaginable, and some violets and lavenders. Many have prominent eyes that give the flowers a distinctive appearance. Some are fragrant. They grow about 12 to 24 inches tall and 16 to 20 inches wide, depending on variety. 'Wilhelm Kesselring' has magenta-pink flowers with bright white eyes.

Grow in moderately fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade, though best flowering occurs in full sun. Prefers rich, organic soils. Needs good air circulation to help combat powdery mildew problems, so avoid placing it against a fence, of amid dense, taller plants. Intolerant of drought and needs to be watered in dry spells, though avoid overhead watering to prevent powdery mildew. Appreciates a summer mulch to keep the root zone cool. Remove faded flowers to prolong bloom period and to prevent unwanted self-seeding (cultivars generally do not come true from seed). Attracts butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds.