Phlox subulata
Cushion Phlox
Common names: Mat Phlox, Moss Phlox
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
Photo: UpstateNYer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The cushion phlox (Phlox subulata) forms dense, evergreen cushions that transform into a bright carpet of flowers in early spring. From early April to late May (week 14 to 21) it covers wall crowns, rock gardens, and garden edges with countless small blooms in white, pink, violet, or purple. The ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ variety displays a rich lavender‑blue and remains pleasantly compact. Outside the flowering period, its fine, needle‑like foliage provides year‑round green cover.
Care instructions
Plant in full sun on well‑drained, slightly sandy or loamy soil; it does not tolerate waterlogging. After flowering in May, trim back about one‑third to keep cushions dense and encourage branching. In prolonged summer droughts, occasional watering is appreciated, but the plant otherwise tolerates low moisture well. Every three to four years, divide the cushions to rejuvenate growth and produce new plants for other beds. No winter protection is needed, but avoid heavy, wet soils during cold months.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, sandy, lime-loving
Moss phlox likes it loose and free-draining and does not tolerate waterlogged soils at all. A lean to moderately nutrient-rich, sandy-gravelly soil is quite enough for it; loosen heavy loamy soil best with sand or fine gravel. It readily accepts chalky soils. It feels happiest in a warm, sunny spot with good drainage, for example on top of a wall or in a rock garden.
Feeding
Light feeder
As an undemanding cushion perennial, moss phlox needs practically no feeding. A thin layer of mature compost in spring after cutting back is quite enough as a gentle dose. Over-generous nutrient supply makes the shoots soft and vulnerable and harms the compact, dense habit more than it helps.
Overwintering
Moss phlox is hardy in Central Europe and needs no special protection. Above all, dry soil in winter matters, because wet and waterlogging harm the cushions more than frost. On heavy soils an airy covering of brushwood helps, so that water can drain away well and the leaves do not rot.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Division
The easiest way to propagate moss phlox is by dividing established cushions in spring or straight after flowering. If you set the pieces at the new spot right away, they quickly grow together into dense cushions again. Alternatively, after flowering in early summer, take non-flowering shoot tips as cuttings, set them in sandy substrate and keep them evenly moist until they root. Sowing makes little sense with named varieties, as the offspring rarely come true.
For your garden
Grow Cushion Phlox yourself
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