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Phlox divaricata L.

Wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderEricalesTea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others
FamilyPolemoniaceaePhlox, Jabob’s-ladder
GenusPhloxGreek φλόξ, means “flame”
Speciesdivaricata“Spreading out, growing in a straggly manner”

About plant names...

Wild blue phlox is native to eastern North America. It is found in forests and fields. Several cultivars have been created. These plants can form large colonies, and are sometimes used as ground cover. They spread by seed, and they are also stoloniferous, forming plant colonies.

Plants: 10-20″ (25-50 cm) in size, with hairy, sticky, decumbent stems.

Leaves: Opposite, hairy, up to 2½″ (6.3 cm) × ¾″ (1.9 cm), ovate-lanceolate. Leaves attach directly to, or even slightly clasp, stems.

Flowers: Flowers, occurring in clusters, are slightly fragrant, ¾-1″ (2-3 cm) in diameter, comprised of five petals fused at the base into a thin tube. They may be lavender, light purple, blue, pink, or white, appearing Apr-May. If the petals are notched at the tips, you’re looking at Phlox divaricata ssp. divaricata; if not, it is P. divaricata ssp. laphamii.

Fruits: Ovoid seed capsules about ⅛″ (4 mm) long contain several small seeds.

Online References:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Wikipedia

The Missouri Botanical Garden

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 44

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

The central white flowers are white trillium. · 5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Mass­a­chu­setts

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 23 cm)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts

 

Phlox divaricata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

See the crab spider? · 3/18/2000 · Memphis, Ten­nes­see · By Tim Chandler

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 28 cm)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla)

5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

Range: Zones 3-8:

About this map...