Moss Phlox

(Phlox subulata)

Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata L.)

Identification: Flowers variable in color; white, pink, or violet. Pink and violet varieties with a dark radiating center. Flower with 5 petals and a narrow corolla tube. Petals notched at the tip. Stamens visible in the mouth of the corolla tube. Plant small, branched, with flowers in small clusters at the tips of the branches. Leaves small, linear, in whorls about the stem. Plant 2 to 6 inches in height.

Distribution: Minnesota in the west to New England in the east, southward to North Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

Habitat: Moss Phlox is found on rocky slopes and dry or sandy soils.

Flowering period: April to May.

Similar Species: The small size of Moss Phlox as well as its needlelike leaves in whorls about the stem easily identify this species.