Phlox divaricata is a charming woodland phlox. It produces loose clusters of bluish, mildly fragrant flowers, atop a delicate green mat of glossy, lance-shaped leaves. This is a low growing phlox, rarely exceeding 15" tall when in bloom and with foliage that stays under 6". The blooming period occurs in early to mid-spring and is a welcome treat for emerging pollinator insects and the occasional hummingbird. Regrettably, rabbits and deer also consider it to be an early season treat!
Wild blue phlox is a shade-loving plant that will tolerate more sun in cooler areas, however it is best grown under open shade and in soil that remains consistently moist during the summer. It is very easy to grow in a variety of soils, and will slowly colonize via a fibrous rhizomatous root system and by seed. As with other species of phlox, powdery mildew can be a concern, so it's best sited where it will receive good air circulation. It can be used as a visual groundcover, however, its loose structure is not very effective at controlling weeds. It is not an aggressive species, and it combines well with other shade garden favorites. Cutting back the spent flower stems will help rejuvenate the foliage. Zones 4-8
Space plants 10"-12" on center.
Phlox divaricata is most effective when planted closer together.
Combine Phlox divaricata and create a patchwork with other low growing woodland plants that will not shade out its low foliage: Iris cristata (dwarf crested iris), Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower) or its cultivars, Heuchera americana (American alumroot) or its cultivars, and Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns'. It can also be used at the base of ferns such as: Athyrium filix-femina (common ladyfern), and Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern).
The actual bloom color can be highly variable which has resulted in several cultivars being selected to perform consistently.
Bill Cullina of New England Wildflower Society introduce the cultivar 'Blue Moon' selected for its dense flower cover, compact growth, fragrance, and consistent bloom.
Phlox divaricata 'May Breeze', selected for its white flowers, is an introduction from Piet Oudolf in the Netherlands, via North Creek Nurseries.
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Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, FL, LA, NM, TX |
Endangered | NJ |
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain | FACU |
Eastern Mountains and Piedmont | FACU |
Great Plains | FACU |
Midwest | FACU |
Northcentral and Northeast | FACU |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
Subclass | Asteridae | |
Order | Solanales | |
Family | Polemoniaceae | Phlox family |
Genus | Phlox | phlox |
Species | Phlox divaricata | wild blue phlox |
Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet william, blue phlox
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.