Name of this plant – Plant Id Phlox

(Question)

Found in my neighbourhood, The owner does not know if it is a perennial or annual, but it grows in a bush about 8 inches in height. Found this last year in the Spring Many thanks

(Answer)

Hello Gardener – It is a challenge to accurately identify a plant from a single photo such as this.  However, based on the flowers I can give you some suggestions with clues that may allow you to confirm the identification. The plant could be wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) which is native to Ontario. It is a perennial plant which grows 9-12 inches tall and blooms in April-May with the lovely five petalled blue flowers you see in the photo. Wild blue phlox has lance shaped leaves up to 2 inches long.  It grows in shade or partial shade and prefers an average to moist soil.

This could also be Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata), a southern Ontario native perennial plant. The native plant has pink flowers but there are many cultivars of the plant available in nurseries with blue, purple, pink, red and white blooms and it is very common in Toronto gardens.  The needle-like leaves with a length of up to 1 inch are very different from wild blue phlox.  This plant requires full sun and dry to average soil.

You describe the plant as an 8 inch bush which differs from moss phlox which is very low growing.  Take a look at the leaves and where the plant is growing to further confirm the identification.

I’m Including links below to fact sheets on each of these plants from the Missouri Botanical Gardens which will give you more information and photos of each plant.  Good luck – both are beautiful plants.

Phlox subulata

Phlox divaricata

13/04/23