previous
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
next

Phlox divaricata and cvs. (Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox)


Be the first to rate this plant

Plant Showcase - from our advertisers


Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Phlox divaricata and cvs. floks div-air-ih-KAY-tah Common Name: Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox Genus: Phlox
This spreading, semi-evergreen perennial has hairy leaves and lavender-blue to pale violet and white flowers borne in open clusters in early spring. Flowers can have notched or unnotched petal lobes. Cultivars include ‘Clouds of Perfume’ with light lavender-blue flowers; ‘Eco Texas Purple’ (dark purple with a violet eye); ‘Fuller’s White’ (white); and ‘London Grove’ (lavender-blue flowers).
Noteworthy characteristics: Native to Canada and the eastern U.S. Spreads by roots, creating a semi-evergreen groundcover.
Care: Grow in humus-rich, fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Use in rock gardens or alpine houses, in a dry wall, or as edging.
Propagation: Insert basal cuttings in spring, or take root cuttings in early autumn or winter.
Problems: Powdery mildew, stem canker, rust, Southern blight, stem nematodes, Cercospora and Septoria leaf spots, leaf miners, and caterpillars.
Height 1 ft. to 3 ft.
Spread 1 ft. to 3 ft.
Growth Habit Spreads
Light Part Shade Only
Moisture Medium Moisture
Characteristics Fragrant Flowers; Native; Showy Flowers
Bloom Time Early Spring; Spring
Flower Color Blue Flower; Purple/ Lavender Flower; White Flower
Uses Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Cut Flower
Style Rock Garden, Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest Spring Interest
Type Perennials

Plants you might also like

Phlox divaricata 'Blue Moon' Phlox divaricata 'Blue Moon'
(Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This cultivar of the popular blue phlox has round, full flowers with overlapping petals. It is noteworthy for its particularly rich blue-violet color. Use it in rock gardens or alpine houses, in a dry wall, or as edging.

Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume' Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume'
(Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This is a very fragrant native woodland phlox with powder-blue flowers in spring. Reaching only 1 foot tall, it can spread to almost 2 feet and makes an attractive groundcover under shrubs or planted with other spring-blooming wildflowers. Leaves are semi-evergreen and hairy; stems root along their length. The blue flowers are salverform with petal lobes. This plant attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Polygonatum odoratum Polygonatum odoratum
(Fragrant Solomon’s seal, Solomon’s seal)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

From late spring to early summer, this species bears pendent, green-tipped white flowers along arching stems. These mature into spherical black fruit in autumn, when the foliage turns yellow.

Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'
(Variegated fragrant Solomon's seal)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Gracefully arching 2 to 3-foot tall burgundy stems support narrow leaves streaked in pure white. From late spring to early summer, this species bears white flowers that mature into spherical black fruit in autumn, when the foliage turns a golden yellow. Variegated Solomon's seal is a fine choice for a shady bed. -Matt Griswold, Regional Picks: Northeast, Fine Gardening issue #27

Convallaria majalis Convallaria majalis
(Lily of the Valley, May bells)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Lily of the valley's bell-shaped, sweetly scented flowers bloom in early spring. It likes partial to full shade and is perfect for a woodland garden. It may not be the best choice for your beds and borders because it tends to spread, but it is a perfect ground cover if you have a large shady spot under some trees.