Phlox Super Ka-Pow™ Fuchsia

Phlox Super Ka-Pow™ Fuchsia: Short, Bushy and Loudly Fuchsia

Bright fuchsia domes on sturdy stems, sweetly fragrant and impossible to ignore from the end of the driveway. This phlox doesn't do pastels. HOT PINK IS A PERSONALITY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox paniculata 'Balsukafus'
• Common Name: Garden Phlox
• Series: Super Ka-Pow™, from Darwin Perennials
• Height: 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
• Spread: 40–45 cm (16–18 in)
• Flowers: Bright fuchsia-pink, sweetly fragrant, in large dome-shaped clusters
• Bloom Time: Late spring to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Deep green, lance-shaped leaves on sturdy upright stems
• Features: Fragrant, good cut flower, bred for improved powdery mildew resistance
• Plant Patent: USPP 33,005

Where to Plant: Its short height makes it easy to place at the front or middle of a sunny border, in small gardens and in large containers. The colour is strong enough to carry a bed on its own in midsummer.

Companion Plants: Aquilegia canadensis flowers red in May and June, just before the phlox. Echinops ritro adds blue globes at 90 to 120 cm from July to September. Geranium 'Biokovo' edges the front with white flowers from May to July. Blue and white make a cool frame for the bright magenta phlox.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. More sun means more flowers and less mildew. Space plants so air can move between them, and water deeply at the base during dry spells rather than wetting the leaves. A layer of mulch keeps the roots cool and evenly moist. Snip off faded flower clusters to keep new blooms coming. Cut the stems back to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide every three or four years in spring if the clump gets crowded. Deer do browse garden phlox, so if they visit your yard, protect it or plant it close to the house.

History: Garden phlox, Phlox paniculata, is native to the eastern United States, where it grows along woodland edges and in moist meadows. Darwin Perennials, part of Ball Horticultural, developed the Super Ka-Pow™ series for shorter, well-branched plants with larger flower heads, brighter colours and better mildew resistance.

Final Thoughts: Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds will form a queue. Cut some for a vase and still have plenty left. DOWN WITH BEIGE.