Phlox subulata 'Drummond's Pink'

Phlox subulata 'Drummond's Pink': Hot Pink Carpet, Zero Chill

Every spring this little mat goes from quiet green to FULL HIGHLIGHTER PINK overnight, like a teenager who just discovered hair dye. 'Drummond's Pink' does not do subtle, and honestly, after a Canadian winter, NEITHER SHOULD YOU.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox subulata 'Drummond's Pink'
• Common Name: Creeping Phlox, Moss Phlox
• Height: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Bright hot pink, star-shaped, with a deeper pink eye, smothering the foliage in bloom
• Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (May to June)
• Foliage: Dark green, needle-like and evergreen, forming a dense mat
• Features: Evergreen groundcover, rabbit resistant, lightly fragrant

Where to Plant: Run it along the front edge of a sunny bed, tuck it between stepping stones or let it spill over a retaining wall. It's a strong choice for a dry, sunny slope or a rock garden, and it's happy in poor, sandy, well-drained soil.

Companion Plants: Let 'Drummond's Pink' carpet the front of a sunny, dry bed with pinks, alliums and rose-purple coneflowers. Dianthus Pretty Poppers® 'Kiss and Tell' adds semi-double pinks at 20 to 25 cm from June to September. Allium 'Serendipity' brings rosy-purple globes at 38 to 51 cm in July and August. Echinacea 'Magnus' adds rose-purple coneflowers at 90 to 100 cm from July to September. Bouteloua curtipendula stands behind at 60 to 75 cm in flower, a native side-oats grama.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in well-drained, average to lean soil. Wet feet in winter are its biggest enemy, so add grit to heavy clay or plant on a slope. Water through the first season, then only during long dry spells. Shear the mat back by about a third right after flowering to keep it tight and full. Skip heavy feeding. Divide in early spring or early fall if the centre thins out.

History: Creeping phlox, Phlox subulata, grows wild across eastern and central North America on rocky ledges, sandy banks and open slopes. 'Drummond's Pink' is a long-grown garden selection valued for its unusually bright pink colour.

Final Thoughts: Deer pass it by, drought barely registers and it stays green all winter. Plant a row along the driveway and let the neighbours squint. SUNGLASSES NOT INCLUDED.