Where is the best place to plant creeping phlox?
Creeping Phlox loves to spread and spill. Use it on slopes, banks, and in containers. Creeping Phlox is a quickly spreading native plant that also stays evergreen in most climates. In the spring, it puts on a show when it covers itself in tiny five-petaled flowers.Creeping Phlox makes perfect partners with other plants and helps create strikingly beautiful combinations in the garden.Watering needs: Once established, Creeping Phlox is a drought-tolerant plant that requires supplemental water only during warm, dry weather.Mulch. Using a light mulch in the first season of growing your creeping phlox will help to suppress weeds as the groundcover fills in.
What does creeping phlox look like in winter?
During the colder months or off-season, creeping phlox typically recedes and may look dry or lifeless. The presence of grayish or dry foliage can be part of its natural cycle before regrowing in the spring. Garden Phlox thrives in well-drained soil and benefits from occasional deadheading to encourage prolonged blooming. Providing adequate air circulation and spacing between plants helps prevent powdery mildew, a common issue with older varieties.Phlox are herbaceous border stalwarts – hardy and very easy to grow. They have sturdy stems, so even the taller varieties rarely need staking. Largely pest-free and disease-resistant, they last for years in the garden.Avoid overhead watering to keep the foliage dry. The Fashionably Early series is one of my favorites, and it does indeed bloom early, is disease free and will give 2-3 flushes of blooms per season. As tall phlox becomes overcrowded, flower production will decrease. You may need to divide them every 3-4 years.Depending on the variety, phlox produces abundant, brilliant blooms in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Maintaining this easy-to-grow perennial means keeping common diseases at bay or treating them upon first sight. Three common diseases to be concerned about are powdery mildew, leaf spot, and root rot.
How long does it take for creeping phlox to grow?
Even though it’s fast-growing, creeping phlox take about two years to reach maturity. Its rate of growth could depend on a variety of conditions during it’s planting time. Don’t give up on it though! Even if your phlox wasn’t as prosperous and vibrant after initial planting, check back with it the coming spring. Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is a lovely, low-maintenance ground cover that provides ample amounts of purple, pink, and white flowers. It loves having plenty of space to creep and spread throughout your garden.For the first two or three weeks, water at least once a week if no significant amount of rain falls. Check the soil for dryness during hot weather. Established phlox do well if they receive an inch of water a week via a combination of rainfall and/or hand watering. Water the soil and not the leaves if possible.Basic Creeping Phlox Care: Watering: Phlox plants are drought-tolerant once established. We recommend that you water deeply, but infrequently, preferably at the base of the plants. A drip system or drip hose is ideal! Allow the top inch or two of the soil to dry between waterings.Plant phlox either in the spring after the danger of frost, or in the fall, at least one month before the first fall frost, allowing time for roots to get established. Choose a site with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. For heavy clay soils, amend the soil with compost before planting.Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox) is a popular evergreen perennial with masses of starry, pink, purple or white flowers which blanket the dark green, needle-like foliage in early spring to early summer. Vigorous, it forms a pretty flower carpet and adds a splash of color for about 3-4 weeks.
Is creeping phlox a perennial or annual?
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata), also known as moss pink or moss phlox, is a hardy, low-maintenance perennial ground cover that transforms your landscape each spring with a thick blanket of blooms. Creeping Phlox This is a fast-growing ground cover for full sun that’s perfect for almost any climate. Grows well in rack gardens and foundation plantings, and its evergreen foliage puts on a show of pink, white, purple, or blue carpet in late spring.Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) Native to North America, this hardy ground cover is a favorite among gardeners because it can choke out weeds while providing an enchanting burst of spring color.Not only is creeping phlox versatile in the landscape, but it also looks great with a variety of plants. Creeping phlox makes a great companion to ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint, echinacea, or ‘Tahoe’ candytuft. Or pair creeping phlox, with more creeping phlox!Companion Plants: Phlox combine nicely with other garden Phlox cultivars and numerous sun loving perennials such as Agastache, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Euonymus, Gaillardia, Hemerocallis, ornamental grasses, Nepeta, Penstemon, Perovskia, Physocarpus, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedum, and Weigela.
What is the problem with creeping phlox ground cover?
Spotty Leaves, Soft Stems, Mushy Roots Creeping phlox may present with spotty leaves, soft stems, and mushy roots if it is planted in poorly draining and excessively moist soil that does not have adequate air circulation, resulting in mold and root rot. Depending on the variety, phlox produces abundant, brilliant blooms in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Maintaining this easy-to-grow perennial means keeping common diseases at bay or treating them upon first sight. Three common diseases to be concerned about are powdery mildew, leaf spot, and root rot.Plant phlox in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, or plant in the fall at least a month before your first frost.Powdery mildew, Erysiphe cichoracearum. This is by far the most common disease of phlox in Connecticut. Most cultivars are very susceptible to this fungus which appears as white, mealy growth on both surfaces of leaves and stems.After creeping phlox flowers, trim the plant back and clean up any dead foliage. This will encourage lush new growth and possible late season re-bloom.Wait until fall frost kills tall phlox before pruning to the ground; fall pruning is keeps powdery mildew at bay. Regular deadheading and light trimming encourage bushier growth, extend blooming, and keep plants tidy.
What is the difference between creeping phlox and Garden Phlox?
Phlox fall into a few broad categories: creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, a thick groundcover that blooms in spring), tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, a summer favorite in cottage-style borders, usually about 3 feet tall) and woodland phlox (a less-familiar shade-lover). Count on tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata hybrids) to provide a colorful summer display in perennial gardens, blooming as much as six weeks or more. Some cultivars begin blooming in mid-summer, others not until late August.Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox), a beloved garden classic, showcases showy and fragrant flowers that grace summer borders from late spring to early fall.Perennial Gardens Garden phlox makes a good companion for other summer-blooming perennials such as lilies, bee balm, rudbeckia, Shasta daisies, yarrow, clematis and daylilies.Creeping Phlox is a very prostrate, spreading groundcover completely coverd in pastel colored flowers in spring. Woodland Phlox is taller at 12-15″, producing lavender to light blue flowers in the shade.COMPANION & UNDERSTUDY PLANTS: Try pairing Phlox paniculata with Aster umbellatus, Echinacea purpurea, Eupatorium fistulosum, Coreopsis major, Liatris spicata, Monarda fistulosa, Rudbeckia fulgida var. Panicum virgatum.