Phlox paniculata, also known as garden phlox, is native to New York to Iowa and south to Georgia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. It has spread from gardens and grown naturally in areas beyond its original native range. This upright perennial plant grows in a clump, reaching 2-4 feet in height and 2-3 feet in width. It has stiff stems with oppositely arranged, pointed, elliptic, deep green leaves that are conspicuously veined. The plant produces fragrant, tubular flowers in pink-purple to white shades, densely packed in large, tiered, domed clusters from July to September. Each flower has a long corolla tube and five flat petal-like lobes. Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to these flowers.
'David' is a garden phlox cultivar that grows in an upright clump, reaching 3-4 feet tall. It produces fragrant white tubular flowers with long corolla tubes and five flat petal-like lobes. The flowers form large, terminal, pyramidal clusters in summer on stiff, upright stems that rarely require staking. The bloom usually extends from mid to late summer, sometimes into early fall. The plant has narrow, oppositely arranged, pointed, lance-shaped leaves and is suitable for use as cut flowers.
These plants thrive in moderately fertile, medium moisture, and well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. They prefer rich, moist, organic soils and are best suited to climates with mild summers rather than hot and humid conditions. Good air circulation is essential to prevent potential powdery mildew problems, so it's necessary to space the plants well and thin out stems as needed. They are intolerant of drought and should be watered during dry spells, but overhead watering should be avoided. The plants benefit from summer mulch to keep the root zone cool. In winter, the plants should be pruned to the ground and removed from the garden, and all plant areas should be cleaned up to minimize the risk of powdery mildew infection in the following growing season. Removing faded flower panicles will help prolong the bloom period and prevent unwanted self-seeding (cultivars generally do not produce true offspring from seed).
