North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Phlox paniculata

Phlox paniculata L.

summer phlox, fall phlox

Cultivar(s): Amethyst, David, Delta Snow, Dunbarck, Jeana, John Fanick, Nicky, Robert Poore, Speed Limit 45

Image ID: 7941
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: PHPA9
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phlox paniculata
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-02-12

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
913	Amethyst	View
914	David	View
1678	Delta Snow	View
915	Dunbarck	View
1781	Jeana	View
1680	John Fanick	View
1679	Nicky	View
41	Robert Poore	View
916	Speed Limit 45	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: PHLOX
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Phlox
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Phlox
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 70 species, herbs (and creeping subshrubs), of temperate North America (with 1 species in ne. Asia).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Wherry (1955)=Z; Levin (1966)=Y; Ferguson, Kråmer, & Jansen (1999); Wilken in Kubitzki (2004). Key based on C and Z.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: POLEMO
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Polemoniaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Jacob's-ladder Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of 18 genera and 350-380 species, herbs, vines, and shrubs (rarely trees), mainly of temperate North America, but extending into tropical America and also in Eurasia.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Wilson (1960a); Grant (1997); Grant (1998); Prather, Ferguson, & Jansen (2000); Wilken in Kubitzki (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, clump-forming perennial of stream banks, moist forests, woodlands and woodland borders.
STEMS: Stems unbranched and smooth; may be softly hairy above.
LEAVES: Leaves opposite, short-petiolate (upper leaves may be sessile), lance-shaped to oval, 2-6 in. long, conspicuously pinnately veined but with a prominent marginal vein, margins with fine hairs, usually smooth above and softly hairy beneath.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in a dense pyramidal or dome-shaped, terminal cluster; red-purple to pink or lavender (or white), 1/2-1 in wide, consisting of 5 lobes that flare abruptly outward from a hairy, narrow tube and 5 slightly protruding stamens. Te shorter calyx tube has 5 needle-like lobes and may be glandular-hairy.
FRUITS: Fruit an oval capsule.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-5 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Opposite
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: July-September

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Red-purple, pink, lavender, white

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x	x	x						x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Moist forests, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Summer phlox blooms in late summer with panicles of beautiful pink flowers over a number of weeks. Their flower color ranges from bright pink to pale pink on different plants. This is an excellent perennial for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Summer Phlox grows in fertile bottomlands and meadows. It also thrives in average to moist soil in sunny gardens. Try this southeastern native perennial for some late-summer color. It makes a good cut flower too.

Bloom Table Text: Few North American wildflowers have become such staples of the flower border as summer phlox, which has been present in gardens so long that many gardeners assume it is European. In fact, summer phlox can be found in rich woods and roadsides throughout much of the East, displaying its brilliant pink or lavender flowers in mid- to late summer. Among garden varieties, the color range has expanded to include whites and pastels. Try this southeastern native perennial for some late-summer color. It makes a good cut flower too.

NCBG Location: Education Center Landscape, Native Perennial Border

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, Hummingbird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1350	HORT	2006-10-01	Bryan	View
1701	HORT	2005-01-01	Liloia	View
1893	HORT	2010-09-04	Gocke	View
1894	HORT	2010-09-04	Gocke	View
1895	HORT	2010-09-04	Gocke	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
2460	1986-2301			View
6232	1995-1364			View
6470	1996-0092			View
6472	1996-0094			View
6567	1996-0197			View
6576	1996-0209			View
7723	2001-0078	2001-05-22		View
8883	2011-0030	2011-01-27	1893	View
8884	2011-0031	2011-01-27	1894	View
8885	2011-0032	2011-01-27	1895	View
9506	2021-0143	2022-08-19		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
995	8883	44	NCBG staff	2011-05-10	View
996	8884	44	NCBG staff	2011-05-10	View
997	8885	44	NCBG staff	2011-05-10	View
4173	2460	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
8887	6232	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9153	6470	146	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9154	6470	142	NCBG staff	2000-07-01	View
9156	6472	146	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9274	6567	142	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
9287	6576	139	NCBG staff	2001-01-01	View
9288	6576	142	NCBG staff	1996-11-12	View
9289	6576	115	NCBG staff	1999-01-01	View
10915	7723	115	NCBG staff	2001-05-01	View
13186	9506	37	Wait	2021-11-23	View
13193	9506	38	Wait	2021-11-23	View
14019	0	35	Wait	0000-00-00	View
14048	0	32	Wait	0000-00-00	View
14086	0	34	Wait	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: PHPA9
USDA Common Name: Fall Phlox
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (I)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV), CAN (NB, NF, NS, ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU		FACU		FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phlox paniculata
COMMON NAME: Garden Phlox
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, G, K, IL, Mo, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WV, Z]
PHENOLOGY: Jul-Sep; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Streambanks, moist forests, woodlands, and woodland borders.
COMMENTS: S. NY west to IL and MO, south to e. NC, w. SC, n. GA, n. MS, and AR.
RANGE MAP: Phlox paniculata.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Polemoniaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Jacob's-ladder Family)
SUMMARY: A family of 18 genera and 350-380 species, herbs, vines, and shrubs (rarely trees), mainly of temperate North America, but extending into tropical America and also in Eurasia.
REFERENCE: Wilson (1960a); Grant (1997); Grant (1998); Prather, Ferguson, & Jansen (2000); Wilken in Kubitzki (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Phlox L. (Phlox)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 70 species, herbs (and creeping subshrubs), of temperate North America (with 1 species in ne. Asia).
REFERENCE: Wherry (1955)=Z; Levin (1966)=Y; Ferguson, Kråmer, & Jansen (1999); Wilken in Kubitzki (2004). Key based on C and Z.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Phlox paniculata in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Phlox paniculata in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Phlox paniculata in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Phlox paniculata in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Phlox paniculata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phlox paniculata

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 7941 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 29983 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 7941 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)