Botanical Name: Phlox drummondii
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Common Name: Annual Phlox  
Plant photo of: Phlox drummondii
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Annual

 

Height Range

Under 1'

 

Flower Color

Lavender, Pink, Red, Yellow, Violet, White

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Raised Planter

 

Special Uses

Container, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Steve Jacobs

  • Description

  • Notes

Phlox drummondii is an annual phlox that is native to the grasslands of central and eastern Texas. It typically grows to 6 to 9 inches tall. It has fragrant, trumpet-shaped, rose-red flowers that appear in clusters typically from May to early July, though the plants decline significantly as the heat of summer sets in, so they may not bloom here that late into summer. Cultivars come in varying shades of pink, red, lavender, purple, buff, and white. Flowers often have a different colored eye. It might be a lovely choice to seed in with short grass meadows, along with flax and annual coreopsis.
Best grown in loose, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, it has a low water requirement, but that is probably when it is growing in soil, not a container. It does grow at the edges of woods, and so may appreciate part afternoon shade in our climate. Pinch main stems of young plants to stimulate branching. Deadhead spent flowers promptly to extend bloom.