Phlox hoodii
spiny phlox
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantContainer Friendly
Native to North America
Overview
Phlox hoodii is a dense, cushion-forming perennial in the phlox family that builds tight mounds 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) tall and 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) wide. The crowded stems carry stiff, awl-shaped leaves 0.2-0.4 inch (5-10 mm) long, edged with woolly hairs and tipped with a sharp, spine-like point that gives the plant its name. From April to June the cushion is studded with five-petaled flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across, white to pale lavender or pink with a yellow throat. P. hoodii grows on dry plains, sagebrush flats, foothills, and rocky ridges across western North America, from the Great Plains to the intermountain west and north into Canada. It tolerates cold, wind, drought, and lean alkaline soils, drawing on a deep taproot, but it rots in rich or poorly drained ground and fades in shade. Growth is slow and the woody cushion is hard to move once established. Early bees and other insects visit the flowers, which open before most prairie plants. The mat stays low and gray-green through the year.
Native Range
Native to western North America, across the Great Plains and intermountain west from the Canadian prairies south to Arizona and New Mexico, growing on dry plains, sagebrush steppe, and rocky foothills.Suggested Uses
Used in rock gardens, troughs, gravel gardens, and dryland and prairie plantings on lean soils. It suits hot, sunny, well-drained banks and crevices. Rich, moist, or shaded beds are unsuited to it.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1" - 4"
Width/Spread4" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowers open from April to June, among the earliest blooms on the dry plains. The cushion is briefly covered for 2-4 weeks. Color runs from white to pale lavender and pink, often with a yellow eye.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to lavenderFoliage Description
gray-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Phlox hoodii grows in full sun and lean, sharply drained, often alkaline soil with a pH from about 6.5 to 8.0. It is drought- and cold-tolerant once the deep taproot establishes and needs no irrigation in dryland gardens. Rich, moist, or poorly drained soils cause rot, and shade thins the cushion. It is grown from seed, which germinates slowly, and the woody base resists transplanting. Top growth stays low and gray-green year-round. No fertilizer is needed in the mineral soils it occupies.Pruning
Pruning is rarely needed for this low cushion. A light trim after bloom removes spent flowers and keeps the mound tight. Dead patches are clipped out to maintain an even surface.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons