Phlox Luminary® 'Opalescence'

Phlox Luminary® 'Opalescence': Pearly Pink Perfume, No Mildew Drama

Light pink flowers with dark pink eyes over very dark green leaves that powdery mildew simply cannot crack. 'Opalescence' is the friend with perfect skin who swears she just drinks water. WE DON'T BELIEVE HER EITHER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox paniculata 'Opalescence'
• Common Name: Tall Garden Phlox
• Series: Luminary®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 76–81 cm (30–32 in)
• Spread: 61–71 cm (24–28 in)
• Flowers: Light pink with dark pink eyes, fragrant, in full clusters
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to late summer (July to August), with rebloom
• Foliage: Very dark green and highly resistant to powdery mildew
• Features: Outstanding mildew resistance, fragrant, reblooming, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Use it in the middle of a sunny border, in mass plantings, or in a cottage or pollinator garden. It's a good cut flower, so plant a few where you can snip stems and bring the scent inside.

Companion Plants: Give 'Opalescence' a sunny or part-shade bed with an ivory peony, purple bee balm and lavender-blue asters. Paeonia 'Top Brass' opens ivory and canary bomb peonies at 80 cm in May and June. Monarda 'Purple Rooster' adds purple bee balm at 90 to 100 cm from July to September. Aster 'October Skies' brings lavender-blue asters at 45 to 60 cm in September and October. Festuca 'Boulder Blue' edges the bed with fine blue tufts at 20 to 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in average to fertile, well-drained soil. Keep it evenly moist through summer and water at the base, ideally in the morning. Space plants so air can move between them. Deadhead spent clusters to encourage rebloom. Cut stems to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide every few years in spring if the clump gets crowded. Deer do browse garden phlox, so protect it where they're active.

History: 'Opalescence' was bred at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, and is the flagship variety of its Luminary® collection, sold under the Proven Winners® brand. It performed best in an extensive powdery mildew trial and was named a Top Performer at Mississippi State University in 2021, and at Michigan State University and Penn State in 2022.

Final Thoughts: Fragrant, reblooming and a magnet for hummingbirds. Plant it by the window you actually open. SMELL IT FROM THE KITCHEN.