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Phlox subulata
Spring Blooming Creeping Groundcover
Creeping Phlox is a popular choice for many reasons:
- Spectacular Spring Display: It produces a dense mat of vibrant flowers in early to mid-spring, covering the foliage almost entirely. Colors typically include shades of pink, purple, blue, and white.
- Excellent Groundcover: Its low-growing, spreading habit makes it ideal for covering bare ground, suppressing weeds once established, and creating a "carpet" effect.
- Slope and Erosion Control: The dense root system helps stabilize soil, making it great for planting on banks and slopes.
- Rock Gardens & Walls: It thrives in well-drained conditions and looks stunning cascading over rock walls or tucked into crevices in rock gardens.
- Edging and Borders: Provides a neat, colorful edge along pathways, borders, and flower beds.
- Low Maintenance: Once established, it requires minimal care.
- Drought Tolerant: While it appreciates water during establishment and flowering, mature plants can handle periods of dryness well.
- Evergreen Foliage: The fine, needle-like foliage remains green (or bronze-green in winter) year-round, providing texture and interest even when not in bloom.
- Attracts Pollinators: The flowers are a welcome early-season nectar source for butterflies and bees.
- Hardiness: Generally hardy in USDA Zones 3-9, making it suitable for a wide range of climates.
Ideal Timing:
- Plant in spring or early fall. This allows roots to establish before the extremes of summer heat or winter cold.
Location:
- Sun: Full sun (6+ hours daily) is essential for the best flowering and densest growth. It can tolerate light shade, but flowering will be significantly reduced.
- Air Circulation: Good air movement helps prevent fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
Soil:
- Drainage is Key: Phlox subulata MUST have well-drained soil. It dislikes "wet feet" and can rot in heavy, waterlogged conditions.
- Type: Tolerant of various soil types, including sandy or gravelly soils. If you have heavy clay, amend generously with compost or grit to improve drainage.
- pH: Prefers average to slightly alkaline soil pH but is adaptable.
Spacing:
- Space plants 12-18 inches apart, depending on how quickly you want them to fill in. Closer spacing creates a faster carpet.
Planting Potted Plants:
- Dig a hole slightly wider and the same depth as the pot.
- Gently remove the plant from its container. If root-bound, gently tease out or score the circling roots.
- Place the plant in the hole, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil surface.
- Backfill with soil, gently firming it around the root ball.
- Water thoroughly.
Planting Bare Root Plants:
- Upon Arrival: Unpack immediately. Roots are often packed in damp material (like peat moss). Do not let them dry out. If you can't plant right away, keep them cool and shaded, ensuring the packing material stays slightly damp, or temporarily pot them up.
- Rehydration (Optional but Recommended): Soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours (usually 1-4 hours, check supplier instructions) before planting. Avoid soaking for too long.
- Prepare the Hole: Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the spread-out roots and deep enough so the crown (where roots meet the stems/foliage) will sit at or just slightly above the soil level. Create a small mound of soil in the center of the hole.
- Position the Plant: Drape the roots over the mound in the hole, spreading them downwards and outwards naturally. Ensure the crown is at the correct level – planting too deep is a common mistake and can lead to rot.
- Backfill: Gently fill the hole with soil, working it around the roots to eliminate air pockets. Firm the soil gently.
- Water Thoroughly: Water immediately and deeply to settle the soil around the roots.
Watering:
- Establishment: Water regularly (keeping the soil consistently moist but not soggy) for the first few weeks after planting, especially for bare-root plants.
- Mature Plants: Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant. Water during prolonged dry spells, especially in spring before and during flowering, or if plants show signs of stress. Avoid frequent overhead watering, which can encourage disease. Water at the base if possible.
Fertilizing:
- Generally not needed, especially in reasonably fertile soil.
- If growth seems poor, apply a light dressing of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can promote leggy foliage growth at the expense of flowers.
Maintenance & Pruning:
- Post-Flowering Shear: After the main spring bloom finishes, shear the plants back by about one-third to one-half. This tidies them up, encourages dense new growth, prevents them from becoming woody or leggy, and can sometimes promote sporadic reblooming.
- Weeding: Keep the area weed-free, especially while plants are establishing. Mulch can help.
- Division: Plants can be divided every few years in early spring or fall if they become overcrowded or die out in the center.
Pests & Diseases:
- Spider Mites: Can be an issue in hot, dry conditions. Look for fine webbing. Strong water sprays can dislodge them or use insecticidal soap.
- Powdery Mildew: Can occur in humid conditions or with poor air circulation. Ensure good spacing and full sun. Pruning after flowering helps improve air circulation. Fungicides can be used if necessary.
- Root Rot: Caused by poorly drained soil. Prevention (good drainage) is the best cure.
You can enjoy a beautiful carpet of Phlox subulata blooms each spring!
Creeping Phlox, Moss Pink, Moss Phlox, Thrift or Carpet Phlox forms dense, 4 to 6 inches tall mats. Foliage is narrow, stiff, and needle-like in appearance.
Phlox subulata will grow best in organic, medium moisture, slightly alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun; however subulata grows well in gritty, sandy or gravely soils and tolerates hot, dry exposures better than most other phlox species. Good soil drainage is most important. Maximum flowering is achieved in full sun, but in southern zone summer's heat, plants welcome dappled afternoon sun. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Shear plant height by half after flower season to maintain form, promote denser growth and encourage reblooming.
This popular little perennial is best utilized in rocky areas, woodland gardens, slopes, native plant gardens, naturalized areas, and in flower borders. Phlox subulata is native to somewhat dry, rocky or sandy places, open woodland areas and slopes from Michigan, Ontario and New York south to Tennessee and North Carolina, mainly in the Appalachians.