Phlox Paniculata Uses

Attract Butterflies

• The flowers of Phlox paniculata attract butterflies, bumblebees and hummingbirds with their heavy fragrances, especially on warm, summer days. The attraction isn't limited to the day light hours. On warm nights heavy with the phlox fragrance, hawkmoths and other nighttime moths find their way to the heavy nodding flower heads.

Showy Garden Plant

• Known in gardens of long ago for their showy flowers, today's phlox paniculata varieties include bi-color blooms, colored eyes and deepened shades of red, pink and purple. Their large flowerheads, comprised of masses of tiny, five-lobed flowers, are quite striking when in full bloom. Varieties with white or light pink blooms, such as the Graf Zeppelin or Mother of Pearl are excellent selections for a moonlight garden as their large flower heads appear to glow in the dark. Phlox paniculata grows best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil. It prefers sunny locations, though some varieties will grow well in partial shade.

Good Cut Flowers

• Phlox paniculata flower heads are perfect for large arrangements due in part to their strong stems and clusters of tiny flowers. Also, a wide variety of colors and cultivars are now available. Vase life is about a week and during this time they retain their strong, sweet fragrance.

Good Background Plant

• Growing to more than 3 feet tall, phlox paniculata makes an excellent background when planted behind smaller growing plants and against fences of wooded garden edges. Long-lasting flowers are borne on the terminal end of stems. As perennials, these plants will spread and produce a thicker cluster of plants the next spring. Some varieties of phlox paniculata are susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew and fungal leaf spots, but thinning the clumps of plants in spring to provide better air circulation helps with this. Newer cultivars also have improved disease resistance. Phlox paniculata is also deer resistant.