Growing Creeping Phlox

Pierre with phlox (photo by Jeanne Grunert)

 

Phlox subulata (photo by Jeanne)

Creeping phlox or Phlox subulata is one of my favorite garden plants. It’s a hardy low-growing perennial that loves rock gardens, slopes, and most soils. Makes you want to run out and hug it, doesn’t it? It does for me, since that is what I deal with here is my zone 7 garden on a regular basis.

Creeping phlox is hardy for gardening zones 3 to 9. If you’re not sure what gardening zone you live in, the National Gardening Association offers a zip-code basis look up that’s easy to use and will help you understand gardening zones.

Plant creeping phlox in full sun areas, making sure that the soil is well-drained. If phlox is happy in the location, it spreads and seeds prolifically. I have creeping phlox growing in the garden pathways and even among the gravel in the driveway. As long as it gets full sunshine and plenty of water, it stays happy.

You can trim creeping phlox to help it maintain its shape after it completes its bloom in the spring time. Dividing it is also easy. I’ve used a clean, sharp spade and simply sliced off a portion of the central plant, replanting both the main plant and the division. Water well after dividing and until the plants re-establish themselves in the garden.

Creeping phlox is available in myriad colors. I have lavender and pink in the garden, but there are also white and a very dark pink-red that is quite appealing.  I love the carpet of color in the spring. Butterflies love it too, and it attracts butterflies and bees in the springtime when few other plants are blooming.

While creeping phlox remains a low-growing plant, attaining at most a few inches in height, it really does spread out quite a bit, so leave plenty of room for the plants. If you do want to trim it, wait until after it blooms. Pruning creeping phlox tends to help it produce more flowers the following spring, so you’ll be even more delighted!

The first picture today shows my front walkway. Pierre was marching along looking disgruntled as usual, so I snapped a few photos. Our creeping phlox planted on the hillside over the perennial garden prevents erosion of the soil on the slope, and those in front of the house shown here fill in nicely between the shrubs.

Each year we find more volunteers, those baby plants that seem to magically spring up from seeds blown by the wind, so I’m assuming phlox is easy to grow from seed. I’ve included links to both plants and seeds, below. We purchased our plants from two different ‘big box’ home and garden stores and from a catalog. One hint: you can invest in the smallest size plants to save money. If they like your garden area, they will grow quickly, that’s for sure!

 

 

Purchase phlox plants:

 

Purchase phlox seeds: