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Lavender-blue
Perennial wildflower

Woodland Phlox

Phlox divaricata

A sweetly fragrant, low spreading phlox that carpets the spring woodland floor in blue.

the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwest

Growing Woodland Phlox

Spreads slowly by creeping stems into a loose groundcover. Among the few natives that draw spring butterflies into shade. It’s fragrant, and showy.

Where it grows

Woodland Phlox is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky and 24 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Woodland Phlox on 34 state pages.

Good for

Sourcing

Where to buy Woodland Phlox

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Woodland Phlox’s range and conditions.

Perennial wildflower

Scarlet Beebalm

Monarda didyma

A hummingbird magnet with fireworks-red blooms for moist, rich soil at a woodland edge.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2.5–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Ragged lavender crowns that hum with bees, hummingbirds, and clearwing moths; foliage smells of oregano.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Frothy white heads alive with small native bees and wasps, for ground that stays damp.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Groundcover

Creeping Phlox

Phlox subulata

A sheet of spring color that spills over walls and stitches a dry, sunny slope together.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 4–8 in
  • Blooms Apr–May