Phlox maculata ssp. maculata

Native

Lowland woods, wet meadows. Full or partial sun.

June to September

Purple, pink, or white

16″ to 36″

This is a 16″ to 36″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem from a shallow, slender rhizome.

The stems are unbranched, spotted or streaked with purple, and hairless or covered with minute, short hairs.

There are 10 to 15 pairs of opposite leaves on the stem. They are 3″ to 4″ long, and up to ¾″ wide. The lower leaves are narrowly lance-shaped to linear and stalkless. The upper leaves are lance-shaped to oblong egg-shaped and clasp the stem at the base. The margins are untoothed and usually hairless. The upper surface is dark green and often glossy. The lateral veins are obscure.

The inflorescence is a cylinder-shaped or narrowly cone-shaped cluster of about 100 flowers at the end of the stem and in the upper leaf axils. The clusters in upper leaf axils are on short stalks, giving the overall appearance of a single, cylinder-shaped, terminal inflorescence.

The calyx is hairless.

The flowers are ½″ to 1″ wide and fragrant. They have 5 purple, pink, or white petals. The petals unite at the base forming a long, thin corolla tube, then separate into 5 long, widely spreading lobes. The petal lobes are overlapping, almost round, and are not notched at the tip. The stamens are visible at the opening of the corolla tube but do not extend far beyond the tube.

The fruit is a 3-chambered, egg-shaped capsule with 1 or several seeds per chamber.

Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a cultivated plant that can get to six feet tall. The stems are more leafy, with 15 to 40 pairs of opposite leaves. Upper leaves are not quite opposite. The leaves are conspicuously veined. Leaf margins have bristly hairs. The inflorescence is rounded.

Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii) is a smaller plant, 9″ to 18″ tall at maturity. The petal lobes abruptly narrow before the throat. The stamens are not visible at the opening of the corolla tube.

Moss phlox (Phlox subulata ssp. subulata) is a prostrate ground cover with whorled, linear to awl-shaped leaves. The flower petals are notched at the tip. It is found in rocky areas and sandy or gravelly soil.

Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) has alternate, toothed leaves and flowers with four petals.