How do you grow and care for woodland phlox divaricata?

There is a maple woods in southern Wisconsin.The eastern North American native phlox divaricata is being offered as an ornamental to use in cultivated gardens for its attractive bluish flowers.This perennial can be found growing in open woods, partially shaded meadow, and along stream banks from Quebec to Florida and west to Texas and the Rockies.The plant is hardy in zones 3 to 8 and is sometimes referred to by other names.It is taller and has a more open habit than the moss that spreads very quickly.The creeping phlox is only hardy to zone 5 because of its shorter stature, dense clumps, and less lavender to pink blooms in the flower clusters.It is shorter than P. divaricata.The P. subulata is shorter, more compact and needs full sun.Divaricata means "with a spreading and straggling habit".This is the only one of its kind.To have both fertile and infertile shoots.stolons develop into non-flowering shoots as the root system forms a loose mat of foliage up to a foot high.The leaves are lance-shaped and up to 2” long with entire margins arranged in widely spacing pairs.If the leafy shoots flop onto the ground, it will increase the spread of the colony.The leaves on the infertile shoots are generally wider with more rounded tips and less hairy than the unbranched flowering stems.The flowering stems die back after seeds are produced, leaving a rounded mound of semi-evergreen (in mild climates) dark green foliage to produce and store energy for the development of the following year's flowering shoots.As the plant begins to decline in the summer it could be mistaken for a weed.Closeup of leaves and hairy foliage can be seen in the spring.In late spring to early summer plants produce loose clusters of salverform flowers at the stem tips.A hairy green or reddish green calyx with 5 linear teeth is found at the end of each tubular flower.The spreading lobes can be whole (subspecies divaricata, generally in the eastern part of the range) or notch.The narrow corolla throat has a single pistil that is not easily visible.There are shades of blue in the flowers, from pale lavender to violet-blue.The flowers attract insects.The flowers are produced in loose clusters from furled buds.The flowers are only pollinated by long-tongued insects, which include butterflies, skippers, clearwing and sphinx hummingbird, and bumblebees.There are rounded fruits that start out green and dry to brown ovoid seed capsule that split to release small black seeds.This plant is not aggressive and can easily be pulled up or replanted.After flowering the petals are shed and if pollinated a capsule is produced with each small capsule splitting to release the small black seeds.There is a garden with red trillium.In naturalized areas, the front of informal borders and in shady rock gardens, use woodland phlox.To disguise the senescing bulb foliage, Interplant with early spring bulbs.The scent of the flowers can be appreciated when they are in bloom.This species is not dense enough to compete with most weeds.It works well with early-blooming spring woodland ephemerals.), and trilliums.Combine it with other shade-loving plants such as small to medium hostas, astilbes, bleeding heart, columbines and hellebores where it will spread in and around the other plants, then fade into the background after flowering.It does best in moist, rich soil.woodland phlox does best in woodland with partial shade and rich, moist, well-drained soils.It is tolerant of both dry and clay soils.Full sun will tolerate partial shade in cooler climates.To keep the roots cool in the summer, mulch lightly.Wait until spring to clean up the clump, only removing winter- damaged foliage, if you want to tidy the plant's appearance.The plant has no pests other than powdery mildew.It is possible to reduce powdery mildew by placing in areas with good air circulation and cutting the stems back after bloom.Spider mites can be a problem in hot weather.The deer and rabbits are outdoors.In the spring or early fall, seed, division, and root cuttings are taken.It is possible to sow seeds in the spring or summer.Several varieties are available.

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