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Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Creeping Phlox blooms from April through May.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Creeping Phlox
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Creeping Phlox
Plant Creeping Phlox in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 10 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Creeping Phlox
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Despite phlox's reputation for powdery mildew, creeping phlox resists it. Mildew is really a problem of tall garden phlox (P. paniculata), a different species. per North Carolina and Clemson
Bloom timing shifts by region
Its brief spring flush opens as early as February on the Carolina coast, but April to May in cooler and northern gardens. Timing slides with climate. per Clemson and North Carolina
Spider mites in heat
Its main pest. Mites flare on hot, dry, reflected-heat sites, speckling leaves yellow. A deep soak and a forceful hose-off relieve both heat stress and mites. per North Carolina and South Dakota State
Shear after it blooms
Its one routine cut: shear the whole mat back by one-third to one-half once spring bloom ends. This keeps it dense and stops a bare, woody center. per North Carolina and Missouri Botanical
Early pollinator magnet
One of the earliest things in bloom, so it feeds bees, skippers and butterflies (and draws hummingbirds) when little else is open. per North Carolina and University of Maryland
Deer-resistant
Less palatable to deer than other phlox, and it tolerates occasional browsing. No plant is deer-proof under heavy pressure. per North Carolina and University of Maryland
What pairs well with Creeping Phlox
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Purple Coneflower
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blazing Star
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Butterfly Bush
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 6.6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Cosmos
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Potentilla
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Cleome
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
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