A low growing ground cover perennial with compact moss-like foliage and pink with red center eye.
Pronunciation
(floks)(sub-EW-lah-tah)
Plant Type
All Plants, Perennials Hardy
Hardiness Zone
2-8
Sunlight
flowers best in full sun, tolerates some shade
Moisture
average
Soil & Site
average, well drained
Flowers
3-5 borne in a loose panicle, pink with red eye
Leaves
narrow linear,green, moss like
Dimensions
around 4-6" tall and spreading over 24", plant 12-18" on center.
Maintenance
If Creeping Phlox is placed to close to a sidewalk, patio, etc. it will creep into this area. Most people will shear it straight on the edges leaving a rough brown edge. A way to avoid this ugly look is to lift the edges of the plant up and cut the brown underside of the plant leaving a layer of growing foliage on the top to fill in. Than take this foliage and feather it back with a pruning shear or scissors. This works with Creeping Phlox because it tends to grow in layers with the new growth creeping over the older growth. When grass or weed start growing through the foliage, lift the plant and pull the weeds from underneath. Once the Phlox is established the weed problem will be minimal. A light shearing after bloom will encourage compact growth.
Propagation
division, cuttings
Native Site
Native to America first sent to England in 1745 by John Bartram.
Misc Facts
The name comes from the foliage (moss like) and the pink color of the flowers
Author's Notes
Planted in my garden spring of 2013. Still growing strong in the spring of 2016. The flowers on my plants are a pink with a ting of blue.