creeping phlox
Phlox subulata
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size3 to 6 inches tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Red-purple to violet-purple to pink to white
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is a perennial for rock gardens, ground cover, borders, and low maintenance beds. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. This evergreen forms a mat 3 to 6 inches tall and covers itself with pink, white, or violet-purple flowers in spring. Deer tend to pass it by. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the blooms.
Pairs well with Eastern columbine, Nodding onion, and Standing Ovation little bluestem.
Native range
Eastern and central United States.