Perennial phlox flowers are considered indispensable participants in garden compositions. They adorn many mixborders, rocky gardens, flower beds and borders. Phloxes of all varieties and types look great in bouquets. True, they do not stand in a vase for a long time, since the flowers tend to quickly crumble and lose their decorative effect. But in the flower beds, phlox is a real handsome man. Its inflorescences resemble bright multi-colored hats. And in suitable conditions, it blooms for a long time. Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of different types of phlox, learn about their breeding methods and care features.
Description of phlox colors
The name of the bright perennial flower was given by the naturalist Carl Linnaeus. He called this plant the name "floco", in Greek it means "flame". This is due to the fact that the ancestral form of the flower had a scarlet color. There was a legend that the sailors of Odysseus dropped torches on the ground, then magnificent bright red flowers grew on these places. Initially, all perennial phlox appeared in Canada. Europeans and Americans began to engage in annual species.
Many have seen how beautiful phlox flowers are during flowering. Their inflorescences are very plentiful and flaunt for a long time in the flower beds. This flowering herbaceous plant belongs to the Sinyukhov family. There are about 85 of its species. Perennial phloxes come in a variety of colors. There are pink, blue, white, bright purple, purple, scarlet. Depending on the time of flowering, they are spring, summer and summer-autumn. They bloom profusely for a month, or even more.
Features and distribution of the plant
Many are wondering if this is a flower or a shrub - phlox? It must be said right away that this is a semi-shrub. The lower part of the shoots with buds becomes stiff and is stored in winter for many years, and the upper grassy part dies off in winter, and is reborn again in spring. It is also necessary to remember which phlox flowers have stems. Depending on the variety, they can be erect, ascending and creeping. Height varies from 10cm to 1.5m.
This perennial plant has elongated, oval-lanceolate leaves with entire margins. Phlox flower inflorescences are quite large and have up to 90 flowers. The flowers themselves are small, have a diameter of 3-4 cm and a tubular-funnel shape. During flowering, butterflies and bees flock to the plant, as it emits a very fragrantsmell. The phlox flower consists of 5 petals, creating a corolla in the form of a wheel, an asterisk, a dissected saucer. There are corollas of different colors, there are even with eyes, strokes, dots, shadows. Complex inflorescences, in which all the flowers are collected, are located at the ends of the shoots and are called thyrsus. After the corollas fade, oval boxes (fruits) form in their place, seeds ripen in them.
The answer to the question of whether it is a shrub or a flower - phlox, is already clear. And in which countries is this ornamental plant most common? Its perennial and annual species mainly grow in North America. Siberian phlox is found wild in Russia and is a mountain creeping plant.
Types of phloxes
The ancestor of many exquisite varieties of this plant is panicled phlox. Even the terry Pure Feelings with large inflorescences and white flowers with green stripes in the center also came from a paniculate species. These flowers resemble large fragrant caps on tall stems (panicles). The variety combines many interspecific hybrids with different properties. Panicled phlox is one of the best perennial flower plants. Especially love the white phlox flowers, reminiscent of a tender bride.
This variety of phlox is also called "paniculata". It blooms in late August, early September. The paniculate species is distinguished by large inflorescences, fragrant flowers of a wide variety of tones, excluding yellow. Many hybrids have also been bred, in which the flowers are colored with multi-colored stripes. Panicled phlox is a fairly tall shrub, its height can be more than a meter. An adult plant can produce more than 20 shoots. The plant pleases with its flowering for about two months. This species does not require special care and growing conditions. Here are the best panicled varieties: Bright Eyes, Franz Schubert, Lord Clayton, Pink Lady.
Ground cover (creeping) phloxes are very popular. They are loved because they bloom early. Already in May, red-purple or white flowers can flaunt on the alpine slides, covering the flower bed like a blanket. They do not like a lot of moisture, they prefer dry places. A prerequisite for a ground cover species is bright sun. As soon as the plant fades, the shoots are cut to a third of the height. This will allow the phlox to grow and bloom better next year. In severe winters, this species is sprinkled with dry leaves or covered with a special material (lutrasil). The height of the creeping phlox reaches 15-20 cm. The stems have abundant branching and umbrella inflorescences (up to 10 pieces).
The most common creeping species is the subulate phlox. Many of its varieties have been bred. Each of them has its own color scheme and care requirements. It is called so because of the peculiar small, pointed, needle-like leaves. The most picky species is Wilson, he has rather small flowers. Experienced gardeners are breeding a very capricious, but beautiful Rotraut variety. Styloid flowers are a real decoration of rocky hills and retaining walls. Popularstyloid varieties are Bavaria, Candystripe, Tamaongalei, Coral Eyes. They are grown even in flowerpots and flower baskets. The plant can be sheared and formed into various geometric shapes.
The Douglas phlox is considered the lowest creeping species. It has two blooms. First blooms in May, the second time - in September. This flowering undersized plant resembles multi-colored pillows. The most popular varieties of Douglas Phlox are Lilac-Cloud, Red Admiral.
The transitional species between curly and bush phlox is loose-grass. It is quite unpretentious and well cared for. Canada is considered the birthplace of the species, which is why it is also called Canadian. Many had to watch the beautiful flower beds with blue flowers. They are filled with a delicate violet aroma. You can watch the beautiful "blue lagoon" in May. With good watering, the Canadian variety blooms for about a month. In addition to blue, there are light lilac, lilac, white and purple splayed phlox. It is important to know that the Canadian phlox has a very loose sod, where weeds grow quickly. He likes very frequent watering. After flowering, the plant does not produce seeds.
In June the stoloniferous phlox blooms. Its stems have fairly dense wood, and the flowers are collected in original shields. If the shoot suddenly comes into contact with the ground, then rooting occurs in that place and a new basket with leaves and a peduncle grows. The most famous variety is Lilac.
In Russia recently withdrawnCaroline species, blooming in June. He is represented by the phlox Mrs. Lygard and Bill Bucker. The first has white elongated inflorescences. The second flowers have a carmine-pink hue. They take root especially quickly in slightly acidic soils.
Tall bush phloxes are endowed with special beauty. These include the Arends variety. This phlox is obtained by crossing the paniculate and Canadian species. Its flowers are small and the stems are thin. They are specially planted next to dense plants for support in bad windy weather. Phlox Arends has another interesting property - if it is cut after the first flowering, it will bloom again at the end of summer.
One more colorful group worth mentioning is the spotted phlox. It has small and narrow leaves, cylindrical inflorescences. Partial shade and moist soil are suitable for him, so it is better to plant him under trees or near water bodies. The best varieties of spotted phlox: Omega, White pyramid, Natasha, Rosalind.
Care and planting phlox flowers
This plant grows well in any soil. It is best to plant phlox flowers on light loamy soils. The semi-shrub develops well when lime is added to the soil. Before planting phlox, the ground must be carefully dug up. Spring, undersized varieties are more capricious, they do not know how to fight weeds, so the soil must first be cleared of their rhizomes. Sunny areas are chosen for planting, only hybrids with an easily fading color of flowers are planted in partial shade. If you need to plant dark phlox,then place them next to the light ones so that in the evening light they do not get lost, but stand out.
Caring for phlox flowers is quite simple. They only require loose earth near them and the absence of weeds. In order for the plant to bloom profusely, fertilizer must be applied periodically. You can't go wrong if you plant panicled phlox in both shade and full sun. But undersized species will need more illuminated areas. Climbing plants also require good fertilizer to grow quickly. Watering phlox should be done infrequently, only in cases of dry and hot weather. Do it better in the evening.
Caring for the plant in autumn
How to protect phlox bushes from winter freezing? In late autumn, young and old bushes require hilling with earth, as well as shelter with a layer of manure or humus. Especially young cuttings rooted this season require such protection.
Sometimes phloxes can be subject to fungal diseases. In this case, after flowering, the plant is treated with fungicides.
In autumn, you can rejuvenate and transplant phloxes. Also flower growers collect the seeds of this plant. If suddenly they didn’t have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather, then they are dug up, planted in pots and waiting for ripening at room temperature.
Transplantation, division and rejuvenation of phloxes
The panicled species can grow in one place for over 15 years. New shoots appear further and further from the center, which becomes obsolete over time. Preferably every 5-6 years bushesdivide, seat and thus rejuvenate. For the normal development of the plant, division of the bush is simply necessary. It is not necessary to wait until the age of 5, it can be divided after three years. You can carry out such a procedure in spring, summer and autumn.
The bush must first be dug around the circumference, then removed from the ground and cut off the shoots up to 10 cm. Then, with a shovel, the bush should be divided into the required number of parts with several buds for renewal. Phlox take root very well, thanks to a powerful root system. Pits are prepared in advance for transplantation so that the soil settles a little. In the pits you need to pour a little compost, mineral fertilizers, you can also nitrogen. It is very good to fertilize with ashes. For acidic soils, you can add a glass of lime. In order not to burn the roots, all fertilizers should be mixed well.
After that, the holes are filled with water and separated bushes are planted. You need to fill them up until the regenerating buds are covered by 3 cm. A little mulch from peat, leaves, humus is poured on top. This will lead to better rooting of the divided bushes.
Summer and autumn cuttings
You can also propagate phlox with green cuttings. To do this, you need to wait until the plant reaches a height of 15 cm in May-June. There may be several shoots on the mother plant, the right amount is cut off, the rest continue to grow. Cut cuttings should be completely immersed in water for an hour for an hour. This contributes to better rooting.
Then the lower leaves of the cuttings are removed and a cut is madebelow the lower kidney. The cuttings are planted in the shade or in a greenhouse with a depth of 1.5 cm. The soil around can be covered with wet paper for better rooting. Green material will take root in 1-2 weeks.
Drummond's annual phlox
The best annual among garden flowers is Drummond's phlox flower. All its charm is that it blooms from June to November. The plant has very fragrant flowers of different shades. They are star-shaped and larger. There are high grades, lower and dwarf ones. Terry varieties look especially beautiful.
Growing phlox seeds
Many varieties of phlox can be grown from seed. If they ripen well, they give a fairly high germination rate. Phlox flower seeds should be sown in late autumn in open ground. Some flower growers sow them in winter in special boxes and take them out into the cold for stratification. Then they are brought into the room, the soil thaws, the seeds begin to sprout together.
Diseases
Phloxes are sometimes exposed to a common disease - powdery mildew. This becomes noticeable when the plant is covered with an unsightly white coating. This leads to curling, drying and falling of the leaves. For the purpose of prevention, the plant is treated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. In summer, the bushes are sprayed with fungicides.
Wonderful and grateful phlox flowers will perfectly decorate your garden. Caring for them will not be difficult for you.
