Phlox subulata[1] (creeping phlox, moss phlox,[2] moss pink, or mountain phlox) is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to eastern and central USA, and widely cultivated. Growing to about 13 cm (5 in) high at most and covering a 50 cm (20 in) wide area, it is an evergreen perennial forming mats or cushions of hairy, linear leaves. The small, five-petaled flowers bloom in rose, mauve, blue, white, or pink in late spring to early summer.[3]
The Latin specific epithet subulata means awl- or needle-shaped.[4]
The odor given off by the plants is mistaken for that of marijuana.[5]
The plant is cultivated as a front-of-border or groundcover plant. It requires full sun and well-drained soil. It is very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to −20 °C (−4 °F), and is suitable for hardiness zones USDA 3 to 9.
The cultivar 'McDaniel's Cushion', with bright pink flowers, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6][7]
The Native American Mahuna peoples use the plant internally for rheumatism.[8]
| This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Metasyntactic variable, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. |