Eye Catching Phlox Stolonifera – Purple Phlox a Creeping Phlox
Today I planted some Phlox stolonifera or purple phlox. Phlox is a ground cover that is sometimes known as creeping phlox.
There are multiple colors of garden phlox. Because of this, they are used as border to add color to gardens and walkways.
Phlox Stolonifera is a ground cover plant that grows 4-6 inches high and grows best in sun or part shade. It requires well drained soil and grows in hardiness zone, sometimes called growing zone, 2-9.
Phlox subulata vs Phlox stolonifera.
There are two main species of ground cover phlox, phlox subulata and phlox stolonifera. The main difference is that subulata is in need of full sun while stolonifera can tolerate some shade.
Different Colors of Creeping Phlox
I choose purple phlox to plant today but there are any number of colors of garden phlox . P0pular colors include Crimson beauty phlox, Candy stripe moss phlox, wild blue creeping phlox, and spreading phlox. Choose a group of colors that suits your eye.
Purple Phlox
I choose purple phlox for a simple reason, I enjoy the color. I planted the ground cover on a slope at the borden of a pathway leading up to my front door. It may be hard to tell from picture, but this area has a quite a slope. Ground cover was really the only way to add any color to the area.
The purple phlox should take over the area in the next couple of years and add a great color to an otherwise drab area.
Planting Today
I planted the creeping phlox about 18 inches apart. This should allow ample room for it to grow over the next couple of years. Since I was transplanting, I used Biota Max in the mixture. Biota Max contains billions of beneficial microbes and is a great product to use during transplantation.
Naturally, I checked the pH of the soil as well. Since this area has very little growth, I wanted to make sure that the soil was in good condition.
So that’s the end of my planting story for today. I’ll report back as my purple phlox starts to grow. Maybe there will be twins – or at least several plants that look the same.
In plants do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I think so.
And now that I’m finished for the day, it’s time to sit back and have a beer. Today’s choice will be from Highland Brewery here in Asheville, N.C. Should I choose Highland’s AVL IPA or their new High Pines?
I figure it out on the way to the frig!