• FOOD & RECIPES
  • HEALTH & BEAUTY
  • LIFE
  • HOME DESIGN
  • GARDENING
  • DIY
  • FOOD & RECIPES
    • Keto Diet Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Soups & Salads
    • Dinner
    • Dessert Recipes
  • HEALTHY LIVING
    • Diet & Weight Loss
    • Fitness
    • Healthy Tips
    • Beauty Tips
  • LIFE
    • Relationships
    • Parenting
  • HOME DESIGN
    • Architecture Ideas
    • Interior Design
  • GARDENING
    • Vegetables & Herbs
    • Ornamental Plants
    • Gardening Tips
  • PETS
  • TRAVEL
  • DIY
    • Diy Ideas
17
Sep

Home / Gardening / Ornamental Plants / Growing Creeping Phlox

Growing Creeping Phlox

By recommended tips
/ tags creeping phlox, flowers, garden, grow, tips
0 Comments

A woodland favorite, originally found along the streams and wooded areas of Appalachia, Creeping Phlox ‘Sherwood Purple’ lights up the May garden with a burst of fragrant, violet-purple flowers held high on 8-inch stems. An evergreen groundcover, it will spread where it’s happy. Growing Creeping Phlox!

Plant in shade to part-shade locations in an area where it can spread, and water moderately. Once it’s established it is quite drought tolerant. Plant ‘Sherwood Purple’ with other spring blooming woodland bulbs for a cascade of color. Beautiful with ferns, Hellebore, Columbine, and Bleeding Heart. It is also an important source of spring nectar for our pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds

Growing Creeping Phlox

Botanical Name

Phlox stolonifera

Common Name

Creeping Phlox

Hardiness Zones

Phlox stolonifera, along with most other varieties of Creeping Phlox are perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8


Sun Exposure

Although creeping phlox is tolerant of a range of temperatures, the plant require lots of sun. It should therefore be planted somewhere it can get a range of sunlight, both morning and afternoon, especially if you are growing it for its prolific blooms in March to May. In the hottest conditions, however, creeping phlox does well with a bit of dappled sunlight in the afternoon, though nothing too shady.

Mature Size of Creeping Phlox

  • Height: 3-6 inches (7-15 cm)
  • Width: 6-12 inches (15-30 cm)

Water and Soil

Creeping phlox appreciates moist, well-draining soil, and though it likes rich humus, it also does well in sandy or gravelly soils in drier environments. Because it is so drought tolerant, its requirements for a medium water supply can be foregone at the height of a sun-filled summer or anytime water is scarce, but you should pick up the watering schedule again when you can. Once the plant is naturalized to a bright area of your landscape, it does even better with low water.

Growing Creeping Phlox


Growth Habits

As suggested by the name, creeping phlox grows low to the ground and forms dense mats that become woodier with age. In good, well-lit growing conditions, the plant self-seeds to spread and maintain density. To help it maintain density, cut back stems by about half after the flowering season is over. This may even promote a second flowering, though it will be lighter and less showy than the first.

Uses

Creeping phlox not only produces a profusion of springtime flowers in a range of colors but also can be used to attract butterflies to your garden or to control soil erosion with its tough roots. Full sun conditions lead to the greatest profusion of flowers.

Though a pretty ground cover, creeping phlox doesn’t grow that quickly, so if you want to use it to fill space, make sure to get several plants or be prepared to wait.


About Creeping Phlox

A perennial nature and semi-evergreen habit are important facts about creeping phlox. These plants have needle-like foliage with small starry, five-pointed flowers in red, lavender, pink, white or bluish-purple. Creeping phlox blooms in spring and produces long, spreading stems, which become woody with age.

These thicker growths cease to produce flowers over time and may be cut out of the plant to encourage the newer, softer stems that do bloom. In addition, the plant has a moderate growth rate and can get 4 to 6 inches high with a 2 foot spread.

Growing Creeping Phlox


Creeping Phlox Planting Instructions

Learning how to plant and care for creeping phlox is quite simple. The plant has an easy going nature and thrives in a variety of conditions. Almost any soil is suitable for growing creeping phlox as long as it is in full sun to partial shade. For best results, however, plant it in a sunny location where soils are moist but well drained.

Dig in some organic soil amendments to enrich the soil and water the plant until it is established. Plant creeping phlox at soil level and avoid burying the stem in the earth. Follow these easy creeping phlox planting instructions for years of early spring color.


Care of Creeping Phlox

Little special care or maintenance is necessary when growing creeping phlox. The plant benefits from an early spring application of fertilizer to encourage new growth and flowering. Even established plants should have supplemental watering in hot summer periods and plants along rockeries may show signs of scorching due to the hot surroundings. The stems can be cut back after flowering to promote a second bloom.

Growing Creeping Phlox

Care of creeping phlox may also include cutting the plant back in late winter to allow for rejuvenation and to produce young, more compact stems. Watching for mites and other pests and dealing with these infestations as soon as they are spotted using an organic insecticidal soap is also important for the plant’s care.


Creeping Phlox Propagation

The plant can also be divided to provide more growing creeping phlox plants. Simply dig the plant up, preserving the root ball. Cut through the center of the plant and through the roots with a sharp soil knife or even a spade. Replant one-half of the phlox in the original hole and plant the other anywhere you want more of the colorful ground cover.

The process can be done every few years to create healthier plants. You can also take stem cuttings for rooting in summer or fall. Dip these in a plant hormone and plant in a soil-less medium to take root.

Get more stuff like this

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

The form collects name and email so that we can add you to our newsletter list for project updates. Checkout our privacy policy for the full story on how we protect and manage your submitted data!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Categories

WHO WE ARE
Recommended Tips is a positive and empowering community for everyone who want to love, grow and share! We are offering to our readers insightful and inspiring looks at real life issues, beauty, style, people, technology, travel, careers, health, fitness and so much more. At Recommended Tips we believe in designing our lives and pursuing our dreams!
LATEST COMMENTS
  • Making again today! I forgot how easy they were. The recipe sou
    Charlene
  • Very good and filling! I used cookie scoop and got 10 - 1 ounce
    NancyBanana
  • Made this tonight with a few modifications of adding cavenders se
    Darlena
POPULAR ARTICLES
  • Fluffy Keto Pancakes 393 people like this
  • Keto Key Lime Bars 375 people like this
  • Best Keto Chocolate Cake 310 people like this
  • Keto No Bake Cookies 243 people like this
OUR PAGES
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclosure Policy
  • DMCA Copyright Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy & Legal Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz
0
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply