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Rare and Exceptional Plants for the
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Phlox stolonifera

[] Phlox stolonifera carpets the earth in a particularly colorless area in my shade borders. During the several weeks that it's in bloom, the brilliant clouds of magenta light up the woods. In the wild, her flower color can be very variable, from white to a light violet blue to a deep cerise and every shade in betwixt and between. My chosen selection (shown) falls somewhere in the middle of that grand color scheme. There are also several named cultivars.

Phlox stolonifera is native to 12 states in the Eastern US - primarily in the Appalachian Mountains.

And Phlox stolonifera is one of the most reliable, attractive and utilitarian groundcovers you can use in your garden in a plethora of settings and conditions. The specific epithet (the second word in a scientific plant name, which usually describes a trait of that plant) refers to the fact that it produces stolons. Stolons are similar to normal stems except they produce adventitious roots and normally run horizontally to the soil surface, instead of up into the air. They also have long internodes with reduced leaves. Plants with stolons are referred to as stoloniferous and root along the ground as they grow. I've successfully grown this plant in deep shade and in full sun, and it doesn't appear to have any particular soil type preference either. How much easier could a plant get!

I somewhat hesitate to saddle Phlox stolonifera with the moniker of "groundcover", as that distinction may limit its imaginative use in a wider variety of situations. It certainly looks great as an accent plant and as a medium height edging plant. Hardiness range is USDA zones 4-9 and my best guess would push that a zone in each direction. In foliage, the height is about 6" tall, add another 6" when in flower.

 

I don't like to clutter my emails with too many images and I decided to use a closeup of Phlox stolonifera here. I'd like you to see how great it looks in a garden setting, so I've chose a few images for you to look at. Here's one in one a backyard garden growing with Cypripedium calceolus and Trillium grandiflorum - http://www.npsnj.org/images/c_calceolus_2.jpg Magnar Aspaker even grows Phlox stolonifera in his garden in Norway http://magnar.aspaker.no/Phlox%20stolonifera.jpg

So there you have it, a great plant that will grow well in just about any garden in any just about any locale.

I've a good stock of flowering age plants in 2" pots that are ready to take flight in your garden and I've saved some for you. Check out the very reasonable prices below.

The prices shown below include FREE SHIPPING on bareroot plants out of their 2" pots. If you would like to receive the plants undisturbed, in their pots, please add .95¢ per plant to cover the extra cost of shipping soil and pots.

7   for $ 35.00  delivered ($5.00 ea)
10  for $ 45.00  delivered ($4.50 ea)
15  for $ 60.00  delivered ($4.00 ea)
20  for $ 70.00  delivered ($3.50 ea)
50  for $150.00  delivered ($3.00 ea)
Larger quantities at even lower prices upon request

Ordering couldn't be easier! Just download and print our order form and send it with your check to: Internet Order Department
Sunshine Farm & Gardens
HC 67 Box 539 B
Renick WV 24966 USA

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Barry Glick, Sunshine Farm and Gardens
696 Glicks Rd, Renick, WV 24966, USA
Phone: (304) 497-2208
E-mail: barry@sunfarm.com

Last modified February 24, 2009
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