Phlox pilosa: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Meskwaki Indians used an infusion of leaves to cure and purify the blood, and as a wash for eczema. They also used a compound containing the root used as a 'love medicine'.
Plant Profile: Phlox pilosa
Taxonomy: Phlox pilosaNames
Deam's Phlox, Downy Phlox, Hairy Phlox, Prairie Phlox
Phonetic Spelling:FLAH-ks pil-OH-suh
Genus:Phlox
Species:pilosa
Family:Polemoniaceae
Downy phlox is a perennial herb that blooms for an extended period and is commonly found in rocky or dry open woodlands, valleys, thickets, meadows, prairies, and glades. The term "pilosa," which is part of its scientific name, translates to "hairy," highlighting the soft white hairs present on its stems, leaves, and corolla tubes, which contribute to its common name. The flowers, which range from pale pink to lavender, are not only visually striking but also emit a pleasant fragrance, making them particularly appealing to butterflies. This plant spreads easily through its rhizomes, forming clumps that require moderate maintenance to control its growth in undesired areas.
Downy phlox thrives in sunny environments and is well-suited for rock gardens, cottage gardens, wildflower gardens, native plant gardens, and prairie-like settings. While it can tolerate dry soil, applying a summer mulch is advisable to keep the root zone cool. The plant is generally free from significant insect or disease issues, although hot and dry conditions may lead to spider mite infestations. It also shows resistance to powdery mildew.
The USDA recognizes nine distinct subspecies of this plant (deamii, detonsa, fulgida, latisepala, ozarkana, pilosa, pulcherima, riparia, and sangamonensis), each inhabiting different areas within its distribution range. Phlox pilosa ssp. pilosa is indigenous to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of North Carolina and is characterized by glandular hairs in its inflorescence, setting it apart from other subspecies.
Tags
#hummingbirds
#showy flowers
#fragrant flowers
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#pink flowers
#mulch
#nectar plant
#cottage garden
#specialized bees
#cpp
#low flammability
#NC native
#well-drained soil
#rhizomes
#lavender flowers
#thickets
#fire resistant
#naturalizes
#rock gardens
#native wildflower
#wildflower garden
#prairies
#sandhills
#rocky soils tolerant
#clay soils tolerant
#dry soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#bee friendly
#roadside
#meadows
Similar Plants
Phlox pilosa is often confused with:
Phlox pilosa Feature Summary
Attributes
Meskwaki Indians used an infusion of leaves to cure and purify the blood, and as a wash for eczema. They also used a compound containing the root used as a 'love medicine'.
North America
Connecticut south to Florida, west to eastern North Dakota, south to Oklahoma and Texas and to the Coahuila state of Mexico
Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, and Cloudwing skippers. Bees include bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and green metallic bees (Agapostemon spp.) Butterflies include American Painted Lady, Sulfur, and Swallowtail butterflies, Rabbits, deer, and groundhogs will eat the foliage.
Perennial
Seed
Stem Cutting
Root Cutting
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Colorful
Attractive Flowers
low flammability
Fruit
Papery, oval 1/8 inch seed capsule which breaks into 3 sections and will split open when dry and explosively discharge the seeds.
Capsule
Green
Black
Summer
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Each fragrant, tubular, pink to pale purple flowers (to 3/4” diameter) has a long corolla tube and five flat petal-like lobes. Corolla tubes are often covered with soft white hairs, (pilosa means soft-hairy). Florets are loosely packed in rounded terminal clusters (cymes). Downy phlox blooms May to July with occasional rebloom in the fall.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Fragrant
Showy
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
Star
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves are opposite, widely-spaced, sharp-pointed, stalkless, deep green, with prominent central veins and often finely pubescent. The lower leaves are linear, while the upper leaves are lanceolate.
Green
Simple
Opposite
Linear
Lanceolate
Entire
1-3 inches
Velvety
< 1 inch
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Native Plant
Wildflower
Spreading
Clumping
Medium
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
12 inches-3 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stem
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Rock Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Cottage Garden
Native Garden
Small groups
Drought
Dry Soil
Fire
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Songbirds
Bees
Small Mammals
Specialized Bees
Hummingbirds
Phlox pilosa Image Gallery
Phlox pilosa Attributes
Phlox pilosa: Country Or Region Of Origin
North America
Phlox pilosa: Distribution
Connecticut south to Florida, west to eastern North Dakota, south to Oklahoma and Texas and to the Coahuila state of Mexico
Phlox pilosa: Wildlife Value
Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, and Cloudwing skippers. Bees include bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and green metallic bees (Agapostemon spp.) Butterflies include American Painted Lady, Sulfur, and Swallowtail butterflies, Rabbits, deer, and groundhogs will eat the foliage.
Phlox pilosa: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Phlox pilosa: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Phlox pilosa: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Phlox pilosa: Fire Risk Rating
extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability
Phlox pilosa Fruit
Phlox pilosa: Fruit Description
Papery, oval 1/8 inch seed capsule which breaks into 3 sections and will split open when dry and explosively discharge the seeds.
Phlox pilosa: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Phlox pilosa: Fruit Color
Black
Green
Phlox pilosa: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Phlox pilosa: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Phlox pilosa: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Phlox pilosa Flowers
Phlox pilosa: Flower Description
Each fragrant, tubular, pink to pale purple flowers (to 3/4” diameter) has a long corolla tube and five flat petal-like lobes. Corolla tubes are often covered with soft white hairs, (pilosa means soft-hairy). Florets are loosely packed in rounded terminal clusters (cymes). Downy phlox blooms May to July with occasional rebloom in the fall.
Phlox pilosa: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Phlox pilosa: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Phlox pilosa: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Phlox pilosa: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Phlox pilosa: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Phlox pilosa: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Phlox pilosa: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Phlox pilosa Leaves
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Description
Leaves are opposite, widely-spaced, sharp-pointed, stalkless, deep green, with prominent central veins and often finely pubescent. The lower leaves are linear, while the upper leaves are lanceolate.
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Color
Green
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Phlox pilosa: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Phlox pilosa: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Phlox pilosa Whole Plant Traits
Phlox pilosa: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Phlox pilosa: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Phlox pilosa: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Phlox pilosa: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Phlox pilosa Cultural Conditions
Phlox pilosa: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Phlox pilosa: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Phlox pilosa: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Phlox pilosa: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Phlox pilosa: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Phlox pilosa: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Phlox pilosa: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Phlox pilosa Stem
Phlox pilosa: Stem Color
Green
Phlox pilosa: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Phlox pilosa: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Phlox pilosa Landscape
Phlox pilosa: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Phlox pilosa: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Phlox pilosa: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Phlox pilosa: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Phlox pilosa: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
