This Native Flowering Ground Cover Is A Must-Plant For Hummingbird Lovers

Love to see hummingbirds in your garden or yard? You can grow a native flowering ground cover to attract them. Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) , also known as downy phlox, is a wildflower featuring the tubular shape blooms hummers adore. Featuring showy flowers in shades of purple, pink, or white, prairie phlox is an herbaceous perennial that blooms in late spring to early summer. Its blooms attract not only hummingbirds but can also bring other pollinators, such as butterflies and long-tongued bees, into your garden. Offering it to hummingbirds is a great way to sustain them with nectar, as prairie phlox flowers at a crucial part of the hummer season, when some may start their migration journey to warmer spots.

Native to the Eastern United States, extending to Florida and throughout the Western prairies, prairie phlox has multiple uses when grown. It's a low-maintenance ground cover that helps suppress weeds as it grows in dense clumps. It's also perfect for adding biodiversity to your yard because it supports a wide range of wildlife, such as deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. Some gardeners confuse this phlox for Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis), an invasive weed, even selling it in garden centers as a perennial. An easy way to tell it apart is that prairie phlox has five petals, and Dame's rocket has four. Prairie phlox is often found in meadows, but has great use for pollinator, rock, and drought-tolerant gardens. Although easy to grow, it helps to know the best conditions for adding this flower to your yard to keep hummingbirds coming.

Prairie phlox is hardy when it's planted in areas throughout USDA zones 4 through 8, though some do grow it in zone 3 as well. It can grow in a variety of soils but prefers soil with good drainage and an acidic to neutral pH. Water regularly when first planted, then your prairie phlox can sustain drought conditions once it's established. Plant this flower in an area with full sun to partial shade, ensuring it has a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily. For the best growth, keep its root zone cool in the summer with mulch, and give it at least 12 inches to 3 feet of space to grow. You'll be rewarded with sprawling clumps measuring as wide as 12 to 18 inches that entice zippy little hummingbirds on their travels.

There are no major pest and disease worries for prairie phlox, plus it features a resistance to powdery mildew. Spider mite infestations can be a concern if prairie phlox is in a hot, dry area, however, so give it moist soil if within these conditions. Try planting it near other great plants for your pollinator garden, such as bee balm (Monardra didyma) and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Then you'll be welcoming a range of bees and butterflies, even when the hummingbird visitors are few. Carpenter bees, metallic green bees, and Monarch butterflies are often among the flower's frequent admirers, as the flat yet wide petals make good "landing spots" for them to drink the nectar.