Spreading Phlox brings showy garden color

Bring early color into your garden with Spreading Phlox (Phlox diffusa). This prolific, late spring bloomer varies in color from white to purple including all the in-between shades of pink and lavender. Low-growing, up to 4-inch-high mounds of bluish-green foliage can be so covered with spicy, fragrant blossoms that the foliage is completely hidden. This showy bloom is described by the genus name “Phlox” meaning “flame” in Greek. The species name “diffusa” is Latin for “spread out” or “wide.”

Spreading Phlox is commonly found at medium to high elevations in the U.S. and Canada west of the Rocky Mountains. It inhabits gravely, sunny slopes, meadows and open woodlands.

Typical of members of the Polemoniacea family, flower parts come in fives. The flowers are tubular ending in five lobes that radiate outward, perpendicular to the tube. The petals are rounded or slightly pointed on the ends and can overlap creating a one-half to three-quarter inch flower. Tucked into the tube are five yellow stamens and a three-parted stigma which produces one seed in each chamber.

This sun-loving perennial thrives in well-drained soils. Once established, it is drought tolerant, thanks to its deep taproot. Short decumbent branches spread along the ground establishing smaller root systems which anchor the dense foliage mat. Branch tips turn upward each bearing a single flower.

Leaves are short, narrow and needle-like with sharp tips and fine hairs at the base. They are arranged opposite each other in bundles on short branches. The leaves are persistent and turn over slowly, making the plant relatively evergreen. Mounds spread leisurely and are the perfect addition to sunny rock gardens, as a border for taller plantings or in containers.

Spreading Phlox can get spotted and powdery mildews which cause leaf curling and whitish dots to appear on the leaves. Removal of affected plants will stop the spread.

Pollinated primarily by bees and butterflies Spreading Phlox serves as a host plant for Hitched Arches Moth. One study indicates that it is an important nectar source for queen bumblebees because of its early bloom.

Native American tribes used Spreading Phlox for a variety of ailments of the stomach, intestines and skin. Roots were used for diarrhea and the entire plant for stomach problems. Leaves were applied to boils. Eczema was treated with a tea made of the leaves which were then applied to the affected skin.

Pictures and a description of Spreading Phlox are found on Page 180 of “Landscaping with Native Plants in the Idaho Panhandle,” a KNPS publication available at local bookstores and the Bonner County History Museum. Additional native plants can be viewed at the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum, 611 S Ella St. in Sandpoint.

Native Plant Notes are created by the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. To learn more about KNPS and the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum, visit www.nativeplantsociety.org.