Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox

Common name:  Garden Phlox

Scientific name:  Phlox paniculata ‘Franz Schubert’

Family:  Phlox or Jacob's Ladder, Polemoniaceae,

Bloom period:  July to September

What to look for:  Fragrant, tubular, soft lilac flowers, densely packed in large, tiered, domed panicles (terminal clusters). 

Where to see it:  This brightly colored phlox is in several places in the building 1 garden.

Benefit to pollinators:  Phlox is highly attractive to butterflies, and will also attract moths and hummingbirds.

More info:  Native Americans used different parts of the wild (unhybridized) form of P. paniculata to treat aches, colds, digestive issues, and skin conditions.  Garden phlox was one of the first native North American plants transported back to England during the colonial period.   It was highly valued for its bright flowers, and the leaves were often used for making teas.