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Groundcover · Polemoniaceae Draft — unreviewed

Moss phlox

Phlox subulata L.

Also called moss phlox, creeping phlox.

Needle-leaved evergreen mat that disappears under pink, lavender or white flowers in spring. Ideal over walls and on dry, sunny banks.

Size over time

Typical landscape size 0.1–0.2 m (0 ft) tall and 0.5–0.6 m (1–2 ft) wide; medium growth, about 3 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the plug install size.

00.511.52mPlanting0.1 × 0.1 mYear 30.1 × 0.3 mYear 100.1 × 0.5 mMature0.1 × 0.5 m

Bloom

Pink flowers, Apr–May (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).

Bloom calendar: months each plant is in bloom
PlantJFMAMJJASOND
Moss phlox : Apr–May

Design notes

  • Needs sun and drainage; rots in wet shade.
  • Shear lightly after flowering to keep mats dense.

Regions

Native range: Eastern U.S..

Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:

NortheastSoutheast

Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.

Related plants

Jeana garden phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Jeana' · Perennial · 0.9–1.2 m (3–4 ft)
Canadian wild ginger
Asarum canadense · Groundcover · 0.1–0.2 m (0–1 ft)
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica · Groundcover · 0.2–0.3 m (0–1 ft)
Golden ragwort
Packera aurea · Groundcover · 0.1–0.3 m (0–1 ft)
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides · Groundcover · 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft)
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia · Groundcover · 0.2–0.3 m (0–1 ft)

Plan with Moss phlox

Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.

Start designing Try a sample garden