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Phlox (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Template:Langx Template:Transliteration) is a genus of 68 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and fall. Flowers may be pale blue, violet, pink, bright red, or white. Many are fragrant.
DescriptionEdit
The name is derived from the Ancient Greek word Template:Transliteration meaning flame in reference to the intense flower colors of some varieties.<ref name=mbg>"Phlox paniculata", Missouri Botanical Garden</ref> Fertilized flowers typically produce one relatively large seed. The fruit is a longitudinally dehiscent capsule with three or more valves that sometimes separate explosively.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Some species such as P. paniculata (garden phlox) grow upright, while others such as P. subulata (moss phlox, moss pink, mountain phlox) grow short and matlike. Paniculata or tall phlox, is a native American wildflower that is native from New York to Iowa south to Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas. It blooms from July to September.
Creeping phlox spreads rapidly and makes great ground cover.<ref>"Growing Phlox", The Farmer's Almanac</ref> It can be planted to cover banks, fill spaces under tall trees, and spill and trail over slopes. Creeping phlox blooms in spring and produces long, spreading stems, which become woody with age. It was introduced into cultivation by the late 1700s.<ref>"Creeping Phlox", Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia</ref>
The foliage of Phlox is a food for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including dot moth, Gazoryctra wielgusi, hummingbird hawk-moth and Schinia indiana (which feeds exclusively on P. pilosa). Phlox species are also a popular food source for groundhogs, rabbits and deer.
SpeciesEdit
The species in the genus include:<ref name="POWO_328376-2"/> Template:Div col
- Phlox aculeata Template:Small
- Phlox adsurgens Template:Small
- Phlox albomarginata Template:Small
- Phlox alyssifolia Template:Small
- Phlox amabilis Template:Small
- Phlox amoena Template:Small
- Phlox amplifolia Template:Small
- Phlox andicola Template:Small
- Phlox austromontana Template:Small
- Phlox bifida Template:Small
- Phlox buckleyi Template:Small
- Phlox caespitosa Template:Small
- Phlox carolina Template:Small
- Phlox caryophylla Template:Small
- Phlox cluteana Template:Small
- Phlox colubrina Template:Small
- Phlox condensata Template:Small
- Phlox cuspidata Template:Small
- Phlox diffusa Template:Small
- Phlox dispersa Template:Small
- Phlox divaricata Template:Small
- Phlox dolichantha Template:Small
- Phlox douglasii Template:Small
- Phlox drummondii Template:Small
- Phlox floridana Template:Small
- Phlox glaberrima Template:Small
- Phlox glabriflora Template:Small
- Phlox gladiformis Template:Small
- Phlox × glutinosa Template:Small
- Phlox griseola Template:Small
- Phlox hendersonii Template:Small
- Phlox hirsuta Template:Small
- Phlox hoodii Template:Small
- Phlox idahonis Template:Small
- Phlox kelseyi Template:Small
- Phlox longifolia Template:Small
- Phlox maculata Template:Small
- Phlox mesoleuca Template:Small
- Phlox mexicana Template:Small
- Phlox missoulensis Template:Small
- Phlox mollis Template:Small
- Phlox multiflora Template:Small
- Phlox nana Template:Small
- Phlox nivalis Template:Small
- Phlox oklahomensis Template:Small
- Phlox opalensis Template:Small
- Phlox ovata Template:Small
- Phlox paniculata Template:Small
- Phlox pattersonii Template:Small
- Phlox peckii Template:Small
- Phlox pilosa Template:Small
- Phlox pulchra Template:Small
- Phlox pulvinata Template:Small
- Phlox pungens Template:Small
- Phlox × pyramidalis Template:Small
- Phlox richardsonii Template:Small
- Phlox rigida Template:Small
- Phlox roemeriana Template:Small
- Phlox sibirica Template:Small
- Phlox solivaga Template:Small
- Phlox speciosa Template:Small
- Phlox stolonifera Template:Small
- Phlox subulata Template:Small
- Phlox tenuifolia Template:Small
- Phlox triovulata Template:Small
- Phlox variabilis Template:Small
- Phlox vermejoensis Template:Small
- Phlox viridis Template:Small
- Phlox viscida Template:Small
- Phlox woodhousei Template:Small
CultivationEdit
Several species and cultivars of phlox are commonly grown in gardens. Most cultivated phlox, with the notable exception of Phlox drummondii, are perennial. Species from alpine habitats (and cultivars derived from them) require full sun and good drainage. Those from woodland habitats (such as Phlox divaricata) require partial shade and soil rich in humus. Those from waterside habitats (such as P. paniculata) require full sun and moisture at the roots.<ref>Prof. Craigmyle, M., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials, Salamander Books Ltd, 2002, p222 Template:ISBN</ref> Phlox are valued in the garden for their ability to attract butterflies. Phlox are propagated from stem cuttings, clump division, and seeds.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Austin
- Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA
External linksEdit
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