Hello, 

The sun-loving Phlox subulata (called Creeping Phlox or Moss Phlox) is a low-growing ground cover that will form a carpet of spring blooms from late March through May. This time of year, it’s one of the most common natives flowering in home gardens. 

Moss Phlox is native to the eastern and central United States. It grows to about 6 inches tall but spreads up to 2 feet, creating a dense mat. It likes moist, rich soil, but will grow in rocky, sandy soil too. Unlike its similarly spring-blooming family member, Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Phlox subulata thrives in full sun. 

The Many Uses of Moss Phlox 

Because of its prolific, well-timed blooms, Moss Phlox is used in garden design all over the world as an accent to Tulips, Daffodils, and other spring-flowering bulbs. Here, I see it mostly used to spill over the tops of retaining walls and in rock gardens. It’s most striking when used en masse, either as a groundcover or to line the edge of a garden bed. Another groundcover advantage? It stays green for most of the winter (if not all of it). It’s also great on slopes, where it can help control erosion. Are you sold on it yet? 

If so, you’re in luck. It is one of the easiest native plants to find. It is widely available as a cultivar, from your local nursery to big-box stores. Cultivars come in a variety of colors from light pinks and magentas to blues and purples. The straight species has the same kind of color variation as the cultivars, and can be difficult to find for sale—possibly due to the ubiquity of the cultivars. 

People aren’t the only living things that like Moss Phlox. Beneficial insects will visit it for pollen, and unfortunately, rabbits will also take a nibble. However, deer tend to avoid it, so that’s a plus! 

Elsewhere: 

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are holding their yearly plant sales! Many sales in our area are selling native plants, and any plant you buy from them supports their educational programs and gardens in our communities. Check out the dates of the plant sales here.  

Have a great week, 

Julie