Splayed Phlox

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Spread phlox (Latin Phlox divaricata) - flower culture; a representative of the genus Phlox of the Sinyukhovye family. This species is native to North America. In nature, it grows on rocky slopes, areas with dry soils, moist forests and small forests. Other names are wild blue carnation, forest phlox, or Canadian phlox. The species was introduced into culture in 1746, but it became known about it much earlier.

Characteristics of culture

The wide-spread phlox is represented by plants up to 30 cm in height with thin, flexible, creeping stems, forming loose sod in the process of growth, over which bright inflorescences rise. Leaves are lanceolate or oblong, rather hard, green, about 4-5 cm long.

The flowers are fragrant, star-shaped, small, with a diameter of not more than 30 mm, collected in racemose inflorescences of 10 pieces, can be blue, bluish-lilac, lilac, pale purple, pale lavender, white and light purple in color, some varieties are equipped with champlevé petals and a darker eye in the center.

Abundant flowering, lasts about three weeks, begins in mid-May - early June. Under favorable growing conditions, a huge number of flowers are formed, almost completely covering the green mass. Dry and hot weather negatively affects flowering, it decreases significantly, in cool weather it increases.

In general, the species in question is unpretentious, able to adapt to almost any conditions. It will not tolerate only strongly shaded areas, strongly acidic, waterlogged, heavy and saline soils. Accepts both poor and nutritious soils. On dry soils, the splayed phlox is less attractive than on wet ones, since the gaps of the ground are visible through the sod, moreover, in such areas, flowering is scarce and unremarkable.

Melt-melted phlox is propagated mainly vegetatively, that is, by stem cuttings or by dividing a bush. The second method is less laborious and produces good results. Even a novice florist will cope with the process of reproduction of the division of the bush. The phlox is relatively winter-hardy, spread apart, resistant to diseases and pests, and occasionally affected by snails and thrips.

Use the view in question in various landscape compositions, as well as for decorating semi-shaded areas. Plants look great with chamomiles and tulips, especially yellow and berry colors. It is not forbidden to plant phlox near a reservoir and in rocky gardens, as well as under the openwork crowns of large shrubs and trees.

Popular varieties

The following varieties are especially popular:

* Chattahoochee (Chattahoochee) - the variety is represented by compact plants with rich purple flowers, equipped with a purple-red eye in the center. A rather demanding variety, it needs well-fertilized soils.

* Montrose Tricolor (Montrose Tricolor) - the variety is represented by plants up to 30 cm in height with attractive variegated leaves of white, green and pinkish color. The variety was created by American breeders.

* Blue Dreams (Blue Dreams) - the variety is represented by plants that grow strongly and rapidly during growth. The flowers are fragrant, lavender blue.

* Dirigo Ice (Dirigo Ice) - the variety is represented by plants that grow strongly with growth, with large cream-colored flowers.

* Blue Perfume - the variety is represented by plants up to 30 cm high with lilac-blue flowers. It was withdrawn back in 1992.

* Clouds of Perfume (Clouds of Perfume) - the variety is represented by plants about 30 cm high with fragrant lavender flowers of small sizes.

* Laphamii (Laphamia) - the variety is represented by plants that form dense sod, with tubular flowers of dark purple color.

* White Perfume (White Perfume) - the variety is represented by plants up to 30 cm high with fragrant white flowers with an implicit star-shaped eye of lilac color.

Features in care

Carpet phlox, and the species in question is one of those, need to be pruned immediately after flowering. Pruning is carried out using special shrub shears or a trimmer. The trimmed parts of the plants are removed with a fan rake, the usual ones will not work for this purpose, they can tear and damage the sod. This procedure should not be avoided, otherwise the sods will take on a neglected look, which should not be allowed. In addition, uncircumcised phloxes in subsequent years will not please with abundant flowering.