Phlox 'Fashionably Early Crystal'

Phlox 'Fashionably Early Crystal': White Phlox That Jumps the Queue

Most garden phlox show up fashionably late, after the summer party's half over. 'Fashionably Early Crystal' arrives first with crisp white flowers and a tiny lavender eye. IT BROUGHT THE ICE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox hybrid (P. maculata 'Alpha' x P. 'Amethyst Pearl')
• Common Name: Garden Phlox
• Height: 70–80 cm (28–32 in)
• Spread: About 80 cm (31 in)
• Flowers: White with a small lavender-purple eye, in rounded clusters. Buds can open with a pale lavender blush.
• Bloom Time: Early summer to late summer (June to August), with repeat bloom if deadheaded
• Foliage: Glossy dark green and highly resistant to powdery mildew
• Features: Early blooming, mildew resistant, good for cutting
• Plant Patent: USPP 28,679

Where to Plant: Use it in the middle of a sunny border, where it bridges the gap between spring and midsummer bloom. White flowers glow at dusk, so it's a good pick near a patio or deck, and it also belongs in a cut-flower bed.

Companion Plants: Allium 'Ambassador' opens purple globes at 90 to 120 cm in May and June, just before the phlox. Echinacea purpurea adds pink coneflowers from July to September. Anemone 'Curtain Call Deep Rose' brings rose flowers at the front in August and September. With the phlox flowering from June to August, the season stays full from spring to fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in fertile, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. More sun means more flowers and sturdier stems. Water at the base during dry spells, and give it room for air to move around the leaves. Deadhead the first flush to encourage more blooms into late summer. Cut the 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 if they visit your yard.

History: 'Fashionably Early Crystal' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan. It came from a 2012 cross between Phlox maculata 'Alpha' and Phlox 'Amethyst Pearl', made to combine early bloom with strong mildew resistance.

Final Thoughts: Mildew resistant, so the only white you'll see is on the flowers. Deadhead it and it goes again. CLEAN, CRISP, CLASSY.