15 Beautiful Varieties Of Phlox, Recommended By Our Professional Gardener

There are many varieties of phlox to grow, and they are excellent low-maintenance plants. In my work as a professional gardener, I often plant different kinds of phlox for clients who enjoy their colorful flowers and old-fashioned fragrance. These vigorous perennials attract pollinators, increase reliably every year, and are easy to divide. Over the years, I've grown many different phlox, and recommend them highly for their long season of easy care blooms. 

Some of my favorite varieties of phlox include cultivars of creeping phlox (Phlox sublata), woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), and tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata).  They have slightly different growing needs. Creeping phlox likes full sun, and should be deadheaded after the first round of blooms to encourage a second round of buds. Woodland phlox and tall phlox both do well in partial shade or partial sun. All phlox plants prefer a well-drained soil. 

Tall phlox make perfect cottage garden perennials, but be careful not to plant them too close to other taller plants: They do need a bit of room for air circulation, to prevent powdery mildew. Some of the newer hybrid cultivars are bred to be resistant to powdery mildew. Pruning phlox is easy: Cut back your tall phlox plants after they're done blooming in the fall, and trim your creeping phlox clumps in early spring to encourage new foliage growth. 

This classic tall garden phlox produces big flowers of majestic magenta purple with bright white centers. The panicles are rounded and full, and are covered in flowers for weeks from late summer through autumn. Like many heirloom phlox varieties, 'Laura' is fairly tall (3 to 4 feet on average), and the flowers are also delightfully fragrant. Tall phlox are hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 8, and the foliage usually starts to emerge in April. This is one for the gardener who loves vivid summer color.

This one is a real stunner in the summer garden. Pale pink flowers with crimson-pink eyes provide gorgeous, glowing color and plenty of luscious fragrance. 'Bright Eyes' is another sturdy old timer that blooms reliably from July through August and sometimes beyond. The medium-tall plants (2 to 3 feet) have strong, sturdy stems perfect for cutting, and the flowers are a striking, fragrant addition to a summer vase arrangement.

Named for its abundant flowers and delicate but heady fragrance, 'Clouds of Perfume' is a well-loved heirloom woodland phlox that thrives in partial shade or partial sun. Woodland phlox grows about a foot tall in easily divided clumps. Tuck them in among other flowering bulbs or early-blooming perennials for lovely spring color from April through May. This particular cultivar is a bit hard to find now, so ask in your gardening networks for a division. Or, try the newer 'Blue Moon' cultivar: It has slightly rounder flower petals of violet blue, and the same sweet fragrance.

'David' is a sturdy white phlox with large flowers and dark green leaves that grows 2 to 4 feet tall. This classic heirloom really lights up the late summer garden. When these reseed themselves, they can hybridize with pink varieties of garden phlox, resulting in white phlox with a faint touch of pink in the blooms, which is utterly enchanting to see. Give this one some space (20 inches between plants) to deter powdery mildew. 'David' phlox contrasts nicely with late summer flowers of deep burgundy or purple (including dahlias, echinacea, or mums).

Creeping phlox (Phlox sublata), also known as moss pinks, is a wonderful choice for sloping lawns, rock gardens, and crevices where nothing else will grow. The foliage forms thick mats that deter weeds, and these need to be trimmed gently once per season to keep the plants neat and encourage reblooming. 'Drummonds Pink' is a vibrant candy pink that makes your yard explode with color when it blooms. Creeping phlox is hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 9, and prefers full sun and slightly sandy soil.

The heavenly, violet-blue flowers of 'Blue Paradise' are a great pick for the cottage garden. The large flowers have touches of white and reddish purple at the center. These hardy, mildew-resistant phlox plants grow 2 to 4 feet tall, so they fit well in the center of the garden or the back of the border, enhancing a cool color palette or adding contrast with yellows and oranges. The blue tones are said to be more prominent at dusk. 'Blue Paradise' is a strong bloomer from early August through late September.

There are many "pink on pink" (pink with slightly darker pink centers) varieties of tall garden phlox, including 'Flame Light Pink,' 'Cosmopolitan,' 'Uptown Girl,' and 'Opalescence', just to name a few. But 'Eva Callum' is the old school pink on pink phlox that started it all! This gorgeous, sweetly fragrant phlox is a very vigorous grower that will provide plenty of divisions for garden mavens to share. My 'Eva Callum' plants bloom for weeks in summer, and the vivid colors are visible from a hundred yards away.

The once-popular 'Tenor' phlox, originally considered one of the few rare "red" phlox varieties (the flowers were actually closer to deep magenta), is kind of hard to find now. Luckily, this newer crimson-hued hybrid is a great replacement. 'Red Riding Hood' has large flower panicles but is a fairly compact plant (it grows up to 20 inches tall), so give it a prominent place near the front of the border. I love this one planted near low-growing blue summer flowers, like 'Woods Blue' asters or blue perennial geraniums (try 'Johnson's Blue' or 'Orion').

Alas, this beautiful, tall phlox is not available for sale yet in the United States (though you can get it in Germany), but I'm really hoping it will be soon. 'Elizabeth Arden' is named for the pioneering American cosmetic developer and entrepreneur whose signature pink shades of lipstick were hugely popular. In the meantime, while we wait for this beauty to become more widely available, try 'Cotton Candy', which is pale pink and white with a darker pink eye, and grows a nice compact 18 to 24 inches tall.

This newly-available woodland phlox (first discovered growing wild in Georgia) is a captivating shade of pale periwinkle blue with a magenta center: A real color breakthrough for phlox. I planted this variety after buying a small one in a nursery, and it didn't make it, but I'm determined to try again (yes, even professional gardeners have bad luck sometimes). It's hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 9, and thrives in shade. Woodland phlox are terrific spring garden perennials that can be planted in the fall. This colorful new cultivar is now available via mail order.

This dreamy pastel-hued phlox is a soft mix of white and pale lavender pink. 'Cool Water' is a newer cultivar that's causing excitement for its somewhat unusual form (instead of panicles, the flowers grow in slightly looser clumps), and its sweet rose-like fragrance. At 30 to 36 inches tall, this one's enchanting pastel colors will stand out at the back of the border in late summer.

Did you know there are annual phlox? Known as Phlox drummondii, these diminutive plants (10 to 12 inches high) have large flowers with the same delicate beauty as tall phlox. They come in a bewitching array of colors, including shades of pink, apricot, red, purple, and blue, and are mostly grown from seed (though I often find them at my local wholesale nursery as they're popular for use in containers). 'Blushing Bride' is a romantic pink and white variety; the seeds are sold online from several purveyors, including Burpee and Select Seeds. 

'Sherwood Purple' is a type of phlox known as tufted creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), which is slightly different from moss phlox or creeping phlox (Phlox sublata), and it's technically much more like woodland phlox in size and appearance. This variety also flowers well in partial shade and makes a wonderful shady ground cover plant. The blooms are a vibrant lavender color with a striking yellow center (unusual in most phlox).

Creeping phlox plants are reliable, hardy perennials that make great ground covers for sunny spots. I've even seen them planted in lawns, creating bold patches of striking color when they bloom. 'Emerald Pink' is a popular variety of Phlox sublata with lavender pink flowers that have a fetching crimson eye. These will form a large clump within the first two years after planting, and they're a drought-tolerant choice for the rock garden, also. Creeping phlox should be cut back in the fall to keep it neat and healthy.

This charming phlox has flowers in a lovely shade of warm coral pink with white centers. 'Anastasia' is a tall plant (up to 36 inches), and the large, fragrant flowers attract plenty of butterflies and bees from mid to late summer. The romantic coloring of this phlox is perfect for the cottage garden, or for a welcoming array of summer perennials along your walkway.