Phlox divaricata

Phlox divaricata: Fragrant Spring Drifts for Shady Ground

A native woodland wildflower with pale lavender-blue blooms and a sweet scent that floats through the shade in spring. This phlox was decorating the forest floor long before anybody invented garden centres. ORIGINAL RECIPE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox divaricata
• Common Name: Woodland Phlox, Wild Blue Phlox, Wild Sweet William
• Height: 30–38 cm (12–15 in) in flower
• Spread: 30–45 cm (12–18 in), slowly spreading
• Flowers: Pale lavender to violet-blue, sometimes pinkish or white, sweetly fragrant
• Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (April to May)
• Foliage: Medium green, forming a low, semi-evergreen mat
• Features: Fragrant

Where to Plant: Plant it in drifts under deciduous trees, along a woodland path or at the front of a shade border. It weaves between other spring bloomers and fills in around later perennials, and it's a strong choice for native gardens in shady city lots.

Companion Plants: Plant woodland phlox in a shady or part-sun native bed with fine sedge and late-flowering natives. Carex appalachica fills in at 15 to 30 cm with fine, thread-like blades. Cimicifuga racemosa adds white candle spikes at 120 to 180 cm in July and August. Eurybia macrophylla brings pale lavender asters at 60 to 100 cm in August and September. Solidago flexicaulis adds zigzag goldenrod at 60 to 90 cm from August to October.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade in rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of leaf litter or compost. It tolerates some clay and becomes fairly drought tolerant once established, but it looks best with steady moisture. It can take more sun in cooler spots if the soil stays moist. After flowering, trim the stems back lightly to tidy the plant. It spreads by stems that root where they touch the ground, so you can lift and move small pieces in early spring or after bloom. Powdery mildew can appear in late summer. Good airflow helps. Deer and rabbits will browse it, so protect new plants if they're regular visitors.

History: Woodland phlox is native across much of eastern North America, from Quebec and southern Ontario south to Florida and west to Texas, in rich, moist deciduous woods. The species name divaricata means spreading, a nod to its loose, wandering habit.

Final Thoughts: Tuck it under trees and let the early butterflies and bees find it. They know the way. LOCAL TALENT, NO AGENT REQUIRED.