Purple Flame Phlox

Light up your summer garden with the brilliant blooms of the Purple Flame Phlox. This is not your grandma’s old phlox, which were tall, bare of leaves and covered in powdery mildew. This is a new, disease-resistant plant that only grows 12 to 18 inches tall, making a rounded mound of brilliant color, with full-sized heads of gorgeous blooms. Each one an inch across, they are a brilliant, deep, purple-red color, with a dark purple ‘eye’ in the center. It begins to bloom in mid-summer, and continues right into fall, bringing great color just when most other plants have finished blooming. Use it in the front area of borders of mixed perennials, or in groups along the front of shrub beds, for late color. Grow it in more natural areas too, among grasses – it is derived from a native plant. With its compact size it is also great for planter boxes and pots, mixed with annual flowers, perennials or dwarf shrubs.

• Compact, well-branched perennial up to 18 inches tall
• Continuous blooming from mid-summer into fall
• Showy heads of deep purple-red flowers
• Resistant to powdery mildew – stays clean and green
• Big favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies

The Purple Flame Phlox grows best in full sun, although it will enjoy some afternoon shade in hot zones. Grow it in rich, moist, well-drained soils – don’t plant in very dry places, or wet ones either. Water as necessary to prevent the soil drying out in summer, using rich mulch of compost over the root will help retain water and also feed your plant. This variety is very resistant to powdery mildew, which causes gray-white patches on the leaves, but you can also help it out by cutting back in late fall and removing the old stems and leaves. Cut back to just an inch tall, and cover the whole plant – the crown included – with a 1 to 2 inch layer of rich compost.