Blue Phlox

(Phlox divaricata)

 

   

 

 

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata L.)

Identification: Flowers pale violet, with 5 petals and a long, thin corolla tube. Petals wedge-shaped, radiating from the center of the corolla tube. Stamens and pistil deep inside the corolla tube and not visible from the outside. Flowers in a small cluster at the top of the stem. Stem hairy and sticky. Leaves elongate, in opposite pairs. Plant 10 to 20 inches in height.

Distribution: Minnesota in the west to Quebec in the east, southward to Florida and Louisiana and Texas. Also occurs in the central United States.

Habitat: Blue Phlox is typically found in deciduous woods.

Flowering period: April to June.

Similar Species: The pale violet flower color, the hidden stamens, and the early spring flowering period will separate Blue Phlox from other phlox species. Periwinkle (Vinca minor, Apocynaceae) has a similarly colored and shaped flower, but it is a creeping plant with shiny leaves.

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