Phlox paniculata shows up fashionably late, but inevitably steals the spotlight with its bold colors. Garden phlox is not just pretty—it's fragrant. Like, "Did someone just spritz perfume in the garden?" fragrant. Pollinators love it. Bees buzz around like it’s brunch, and butterflies treat it like a VIP lounge. And yes, it's native-ish, so it knows how to handle Chicagoland's mood swings: blazing sun, surprise thunderstorms, and winters that feel like a breakup.
But beware: Garden Phlox is a bit high-maintenance. Powdery mildew? She’s had it. Needs space, sunshine, and a little pruning to keep her from flopping like a tired diva. But give her what she wants, and she'll reward you with a show-stopping performance every year.
Phloxpaniculata is an erect herbaceous perennial that may grow 2 to 4 feet tall and is clump-forming. Flowers come in various colors and bloom mid-summer to mid-fall. It mixes well with other perennials, attracts hummingbirds, and is a good selection for a bird garden. This popular flower has escaped gardens and naturalized into areas beyond its original native range.
Phloxpaniculata prefers sun to partial shade and moist, fertile, and well-drained soils. Good air circulation (adequate spacing and thinning of stems as needed) will help combat powdery mildew. Overhead watering should be avoided. Phlox needs to be watered in dry summers and mulched to keep the root zone cool. Removing faded flower panicles will prolong blooming and prevent self-seeding as cultivars do not come true from seed.
In winter, plants should be cut to the ground and removed from the garden in order to minimize possible powdery mildew infection for the following season. This plant has numerous pest and disease problems and is not always an easy plant to grow well. Phlox bugs, powdery mildew, and root rot can be serious problems. Spider mites can also be a problem, particularly in hot, dry conditions. Taller stems may need staking.
Pros
Pollinator-friendly, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, for a long period in mid-summer
Wide range of colors amongst commercial cultivars
A number of native phlox exist.
Cons
Can be leggy and may require deadheading to maintain appearance and encouraging reblooming
Susceptible to powdery mildew in humic conditions or when air circulation is poor
Needs full sun
Plant Data
Mature Size
24 - 36 inches
tall. 18 - 24 inches
wide.
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Medium
Zones
4a - 8b
(Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags
Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Disease Resistant, Edging, Extended Bloom Time, Filler, Formal Garden, Fragrant, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rock Garden, Groundcover, Low Maintenance, Medium, Medium, Nativar, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Reblooms, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Salt, Well-Drained Soil, Wet Site Tolerant
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Estimated Recipe Cost
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!
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