Thursday, November 23, 2017

PHLOX.


Phlox.
An indispensable genus for the rock garden, 70 species of annuals, perennials and subshrubs almost entirely from North America and one from Siberica called of course, Phlox siberica tufted with a woody base, very rarely seen in cultivation.  Phlox subulata and Phlox douglasii are very easy in Australia, with a well drained soil and a sunny position, with a good water in summer heat. They are easy to propagate from cuttings and division almost any time of the year too, because our climate is so warm, but not so easy from seed, often not germinating. Root cuttings are relatively easy Phlox nana which I used to have, is propagated in this way. Slugs will eat all the Phlox flowers overnight if not kept in control, leaving you with just the foliage.


Phlox Amethyst (Lovely but not correct only a marketing name, more research will need to be done)


 Phlox bifida alba (Fermi) 


Phlox bittonea Fermi Bun Fight


Phlox douglasii Eve (Otto)


Phlox Rita above and below ex Gordons Bun Fight Wilma Yee.




Phlox romeria annual AGS seed


Phlox bifida Blue not a hardy Phlox by any means, needs to be propagated all the time to keep it in cultivation but is relatively easy in the glass house. An import from New Zealand.


Phlox subulata Amazing Grace


Phlox subulata Temaskaming above and below



Phlox subulata Tamaongalei also known as P. Candystripe.
Phlox subulata Tamaongalei Gillanders Nursery obtained while on a visit to Japan from a Nursery in Hokkaido. They sent it to Siskuyu Nursery in Oregon as they had lost it, now it is back in cultivation worldwide.


Phlox subulata Blue


Phlox stolonifera Pink Ridge we seem to have lost.


Phlox stolonifera White Ridge


Phlox stolonifera Blue Ridge, P. stolonifera is a shade loving Phlox it is not one you can not grow out in the sun, some of our smaller Nurseries have these on line for sale. As their name suggests they are stoloniferous but you do not have to worry they never get out of control in Australia, if they did there are plenty of people that would love a piece, and you could put it on our Bun Fight table in December.


Phlox adsurgens Wagon Wheel imported by Lesley and Ken Gillander's from UK, it has a hint of salmon colour to the flower and flowers mimic the wheels of a wagon. Ken says if this Phlox is grown in the sun, it needs to be kept watered in summer, but quite happy in semi shade. One of Ken's favourite 6 plants in our Bulletin Winter 2016.

Phlox we seem to have lost in cultivation in Australia, Gillanders Nursery used to sell from their old Catalogues;
Phlox amoena variegata
   "      x henryae camla from East Coast of the US flowers are mauve 1" (3cm) across hugh flowers.
   "     douglasii Crackerjack
   "          "         Violet Queen
   "     Chattahoochee large mauve blue flowers with a pink eye, grown by Bill and Grace Maxwell.
   "     kelseyi
   "     pillosa Bill Baker
   "     repens Cecil Davis large heads of lilac blue flowers
   "     sileniflora we still have as I have just found out Otto now has a cutting.
   "     subulata alba
   "         "        G F Wison clear mauve blue
   "         "        Betty
   "         "        Laelia white flowers with a purple eye
   "         "        Nelsonii
   "         "        Rosea
   "         "        Scarlet Flame.

A very good web site on Phlox is Phlox website (click on high lighted Phlox website) have a look at Phlox nivalis Eco Flirte Eyes just gorgeous.


No comments: