by Pam Hanson, The Native Explorer contributor
Garden Phlox - Phlox paniculata. This is one of my favorite flowers. It started blooming around July 1st after getting one little plant in March, 2020. This is what its second year creep looks like! It is simply gorgeous and is very fragrant. In a gentle breeze, the sweet smell has carried about 10 feet away.
This is a herbaceous perennial that generally likes stream edges or wetlands, but I've got this in semi-shade close to my house. (I do tend to water it every once and awhile.) It is noted that it blooms from late July until the first frost, and is listed to like Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade.
Generally, this gets 36 - 48" tall. As you can tell in the photos, I don't have any other plants around it to support that height. Around the end of May I cut off about 1/3 of the greens. Doing so got me 2-3 additional stems from each initial stem that was pruned. That was
definitely a bonus because that meant more flower heads to enjoy! Right now, it's probably around 24" high... which is just perfect. I don't think they'll be flopping this year!
This is listed as a butterfly/moth host and butterfly/moth nectar source. It is said to attract pollinators (although I don't see a lot of activity on it. Maybe I should watch more closely!) You'll be happy to know that it's listed as animal resistant. I have it in an area that is fenced off and I don't have a lot of rabbits. I'm happy that no other animal has found it and started munching on it. All in all, if you want a lovely flower that is fragrant, this is highly recommended!
Copyright 2021 Pam Hanson