''Phlox'' (; "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", ) is a genus of 68 species of

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

and annual plants in the family

Polemoniaceae The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 27 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and perennials native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity ...

. They are found mostly in North America (one in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

) in diverse habitats from

alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

to open

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

and

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

. Some flower in spring, others in summer and fall. Flowers may be pale blue, violet, pink, bright red, or white. Many are

fragrant An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance, flavoring or flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficie ...

Description

The name is derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning flame in reference to the intense flower colors of some varieties."Phlox paniculata", Missouri Botanical Garden
/ref> Fertilized flowers typically produce one relatively large

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

. The fruit is a longitudinally

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that op ...

capsule with three or more

valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings, ...

that sometimes separate explosively. Some species such as '' P. paniculata'' (garden phlox) grow upright, while others such as '' P. subulata'' (moss phlox, moss pink, mountain phlox) grow short and matlike. Paniculata or tall phlox, is a native American wildflower that is native from New York to Iowa south to Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas. It blooms from July to September. Creeping phlox spreads rapidly and makes great ground cover. It can be planted to cover banks, fill spaces under tall trees, and spill and trail over slopes. Creeping phlox blooms in spring and produces long, spreading stems, which become woody with age. It was introduced into cultivation by the late 1700s. The foliage of ''Phlox'' is a food for the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including

dot moth The dot moth (''Melanchra persicariae'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It is a very distinctive species with very dark brown, almost black, forewings marked with a large white stigma ...

, '' Gazoryctra wielgusi'', hummingbird hawk-moth and '' Schinia indiana'' (which feeds exclusively on ''P. pilosa''). Phlox species are also a popular food source for

groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Easte ...

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

s and

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

Species

The species in the genus include: *'' Phlox aculeata'' *'' Phlox adsurgens'' *''

Phlox albomarginata ''Phlox'' (; "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", ) is a genus of 68 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open w ...

'' *'' Phlox alyssifolia'' *''

Phlox amabilis ''Phlox'' (; "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", ) is a genus of 68 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open w ...

'' *''

Phlox amoena ''Phlox'' (; "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", ) is a genus of 68 species of perennial plant, perennial and annual plant, annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitat ...

'' *'' Phlox amplifolia'' *'' Phlox andicola'' *''

Phlox austromontana ''Phlox austromontana'' is a species of phlox known by the common name mountain phlox. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in forested and wooded mountain habitat, scrub, and open areas. It is a mat ...

'' *'' Phlox bifida'' *'' Phlox buckleyi'' *'' Phlox caespitosa'' *'' Phlox carolina'' *'' Phlox caryophylla'' *'' Phlox cluteana'' *'' Phlox colubrina'' *'' Phlox condensata'' *'' Phlox cuspidata'' *'' Phlox diffusa'' *'' Phlox dispersa'' *'' Phlox divaricata'' *'' Phlox dolichantha'' *'' Phlox douglasii'' *''

Phlox drummondii ''Phlox drummondii'' (commonly annual phlox or Drummond's phlox) is a flowering plant in the genus ''Phlox'' of the family (biology), family Polemoniaceae. native plant, Native to Texas, it is also widely distributed in the southeastern United St ...

'' *'' Phlox floridana'' *'' Phlox glaberrima'' *'' Phlox glabriflora'' *'' Phlox gladiformis'' *'' Phlox × glutinosa'' *'' Phlox griseola'' *'' Phlox hendersonii'' *'' Phlox hirsuta'' *'' Phlox hoodii'' *'' Phlox idahonis'' *'' Phlox kelseyi'' *'' Phlox longifolia'' *'' Phlox maculata'' *'' Phlox mesoleuca'' *'' Phlox mexicana'' *'' Phlox missoulensis'' *'' Phlox mollis'' *'' Phlox multiflora'' *'' Phlox nana'' *'' Phlox nivalis'' *'' Phlox oklahomensis'' *'' Phlox opalensis'' *'' Phlox ovata'' *''

Phlox paniculata ''Phlox paniculata'' is a species of flowering plant in the Polemoniaceae, phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It is native plant, native to parts of the eastern and central United States. It is extensively cultivated in temperate climate, temperate r ...

'' *'' Phlox pattersonii'' *'' Phlox peckii'' *'' Phlox pilosa'' *'' Phlox pulchra'' *'' Phlox pulvinata'' *'' Phlox pungens'' *'' Phlox × pyramidalis'' *'' Phlox richardsonii'' *'' Phlox rigida'' *'' Phlox roemeriana'' *'' Phlox sibirica'' *'' Phlox solivaga'' *'' Phlox speciosa'' *'' Phlox stolonifera'' *'' Phlox subulata'' *'' Phlox tenuifolia'' *'' Phlox triovulata'' *'' Phlox variabilis'' *'' Phlox vermejoensis'' *'' Phlox viridis'' *'' Phlox viscida'' *'' Phlox woodhousei''

Cultivation

Several species and

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s of phlox are commonly grown in gardens. Most cultivated phlox, with the notable exception of ''

'', are perennial. Species from alpine habitats (and cultivars derived from them) require full sun and good drainage. Those from woodland habitats (such as '' Phlox divaricata'') require partial shade and soil rich in humus. Those from waterside habitats (such as ''P. paniculata'') require full sun and moisture at the roots. Phlox are valued in the garden for their ability to attract butterflies. Phlox are propagated from stem cuttings, clump division, and seeds.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Garden plants Polemoniaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Description

Species

Cultivation

References

Further reading

External links