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 the eastern and central United States, and widely cultivated.

Phlox subulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Polemoniaceae
Genus:	Phlox
Species:	P. subulata
Binomial name
Phlox subulata L.

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