Biology:Phlox subulata

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Short description: Species of flowering plant

Phlox subulata
Phlox subulata - Moss Phlox.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Polemoniaceae
Genus: Phlox
Species:
P. subulata
Binomial name
Phlox subulata
Phlox subulata in an ornamental planting beneath a cherry tree at Yachounomori Garden in Annaka, Gunma

Phlox subulata the creeping phlox, moss phlox,[1] moss pink or mountain phlox, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to eastern and central USA, and widely cultivated.

The odor given off by the plants may be mistaken for that of marijuana.[2]

Description

Growing to about 13 cm (5 in) high at most and covering a 50 cm (20 in) wide area, it is an evergreen perennial forming mats or cushions of hairy, linear leaves. The small, five-petaled flowers bloom in rose, mauve, blue, white, or pink in late spring to early summer.[3] Its habitats include rocky ledges, slopes and clearings.[4]

Taxonomy

The Latin specific epithet subulata means awl- or needle-shaped[5] which refers to its leaves.[6]

Cultivation

The plant is cultivated as a front-of-border or groundcover plant. Requiring full sun and well-drained soil, it is very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to −20 °C (−4 °F), and is suitable for hardiness zones USDA 3 to 9. It grows in sandy or gravely soil.[6]

Cultivars

The following cultivars have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[7]

  • 'Kelly's Eye'[8] (pink)
  • 'McDaniel's Cushion'[9] (deep pink)
  • 'Red Wings'[10] (carmine red)

See also

Phlox stolonifera

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1045366 entry