Phlox Species, Creeping Phlox

An easy, adaptable perennial with showy white, pink, or violet flowers in spring. Native to the woodlands of the Appalachians from Maine ...Read Moreto Georgia. Enjoys sun or shade, blooms best with a few hours of sun. Needs consistent moisture to look its best---this is a plant of moist woodlands and not suitable for xeriscaping. Hardy to Z2.

Spreads by prostrate stems (stolons) that root at the nodes to form a mat. Basal foliage is only 2-3 inches high and isn't dense enough to smother weeds or interfere with other perennials. Flowering stems are erect and reach 8" in spring.

This species sometimes gets powdery mildew. Consistent moisture helps prevent it. Also you can remove flowering stems after bloom to increase air circulation.

Many cultivars have been selected.

Good with small spring bulbs and ephemerals in partial shade. I prefer it to the widely promoted Phlox divaricata, which turns yellow and agonizingly goes dormant shortly after flowering.

In 1990 this species was designated the Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.