Bubblegum Pink, a bright pink nativar, will grow to 2 feet tall and wide and has excellent Powdery Mildew resistance. (Photo by Ginny Rosenkranz)
The heat of summer does not hurt our native garden phlox which thrives in full sun and rich, moist organic soils.
The native soft pink to purple garden phlox is susceptible to powdery mildew but there are a lot of wonderful new nativars that are resistant to that leaf disease.
A bright pink nativar is Bubblegum Pink, a selection of the Candy Store series of garden phlox that is more compact, growing in an erect upright clump that will grow about 2 feet tall and wide and has excellent powdery mildew resistance.
The smaller size makes this lovely plant perfect for smaller gardens.
The smaller size of the plant still produces large bouquets of fragrant bright pink flowers with a streak of white which are tubular with five flat petal like lobes.
All of the flowers are densely packed to create a tiered domed shaped cluster that sits on top of the stiff stems and will bloom from July into September.
These beautiful flowers will billow in the softest breezes and attract hummingbirds, many species of butterflies and other pollinators which add both color and motion into the gardens. The deep green leaves are attached to the stems opposite each other, growing up to 4-6 inches long.
All garden phlox should be planted with lots of space to provide good air circulation to help reduce the change of powdery mildew, and a layer of mulch will help keep the soil moist.
If the plants need water, they should be watered at the ground to cool the roots and keep the leaves dry during the high heat and humidity of summer.
(Editor’s Note: Ginny Rosenkranz is a commercial horticulture specialist with the University of Maryland Extension.)
