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Fragrant Phlox

Phlox pilosa

Other common name(s):

Downy Phlox, Prairie Phlox

Family:

Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Picture of a Phlox pilosa and butterfly

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

1
to
1.5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Rocky, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Bees

Maintenance

Work well in gardens where mounding plants are desired. Propagation: Stem cuttings, Root cuttings, Seed.

Comments

Blooms March-August. Bears clusters of fragrant, pale pink to lavender flowers. The petals of the showy flowers are joined at their bases into an elongate tube. Stems and narrow, paired leaves are covered with soft hairs. Nectar: Black Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 203. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHPI. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Phlox+pilosa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=19455&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=30974#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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