moss phlox
Phlox subulata · Polemoniaceae
moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Polemoniaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 3 and warmer, down to about -33°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 0.5 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.7–8 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 3 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.7 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 3.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 0.5 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 34 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 100 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 8 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from container stock and sprigs. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as stoloniferous.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Phlox
- spreading phlox Phlox diffusa
- wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata
- smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima
- longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia
Similar role and hardiness
- velvet bentgrass Agrostis canina
- American water plantain Alisma subcordatum
- kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- golden sedge Carex aurea
- white marsh marigold Caltha leptosepala
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PHSU3, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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