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Phlox Violet Pinwheels

Vibrant purple flowers that last for weeks and weeks.

Enjoy its vibrant purple to violet flowers in early spring when so few other plants are in bloom; yet its bloom season is so long it will still flower magnificently into mid- and late spring. You will also be rewarded by the occasional rebloom through the summer and fall. The slightly upturned, notched, brilliantly colored flowers truly are unique among all the spring-blooming moss phlox. Both full sun and a well-drained soil are recommended. Drought-tolerant once established. This selection will thrive on a high pH soil and should also be very tolerant of deicing salts. If properly sited it should spread over time, making a low-growing groundcover. Otherwise, maintenance is minimal, and no pruning is ever necessary. Foliage will be deciduous most winters but will renew itself each spring. Both full sun and a well-drained soil are recommended. Drought-tolerant once established. This selection will thrive on a high pH soil and should also be very tolerant of deicing salts. If properly sited it should spread over time, making a low-growing groundcover. Otherwise, maintenance is minimal, and no pruning is ever necessary. Foliage will be deciduous most winters but will renew itself each spring.

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Violet Pinwheels phlox
  • Botanical Name:
    Phlox 'Violet Pinwheels' PP25884
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

Cultural Details

TYPE

Perennial

U.S. NATIVE

YES
  • Light:
    Full sun
  • Soil:
    Adaptable to average garden soils.
  • Moisture:
    Moist to dry, but sharply drained, especially in winter. Drought tolerant once established.
  • Hardiness Zone
    4-7
  • Bloom Time:
    Spring to summer
  • Bloom Color:
    Violet
  • Size:
    4" tall by 19" wide
  • Diseases & Pests:
    Unlike the summer-blooming phlox (Phlox maculata and Phlox paniculata), this and other moss phlox are not beset by powdery mildew or browsed by deer or rabbits.

What Makes Me Special?

Phlox ‘Violet Pinwheels’ is a new direction in moss phlox breeding, combining the best traits of two lesser-known species, Phlox bifida and Phlox kelseyi. Blooming commences in early to mid-April in northern Illinois, well ahead of many other spring-blooming plants in the garden. The vibrant purple to violet flowers cover the low-

Landscape Use

Borders, mass plantings, rock gardens, hanging over a wall, slopes

Origin

Derived from a cross between Phlox bifida and Phlox kelseyi ‘Lemhi Purple’, Phlox bifida is a midwestern species with lobed light blue or white flowers that grows on sandy soils or on lime- stone outcrops. Phlox kelseyi, with its violet to purple flowers, grows on highly alkaline and saline desert soils in Idaho and Montana. An intriguing marriage of east and west! Selected in 2010 from a cross made in 2008 at the Chicago Botanic Garden by Jim Ault, Ph.D.

Propagation

Softwood Cuttings

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Violet Pinwheels phlox
  • Botanical Name:
    Phlox 'Violet Pinwheels' PP25884
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

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