'David' is an herbaceous perennial cultivar of phlox that originated as a seedling of Phlox paniculata at the Brandywine Conservancy near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was named after the husband of the Horticultural Coordinator. It was chosen because of its pure white flowers and its resistance to powdery mildew. For best results, it should be planted in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Phlox need watering during dry spells and some fertilization throughout the season. In spite of taking a little work, they are worth the effort for the showy blooms over a long season. They can be used in the middle border of the perennial garden, in small masses, and with other colored phloxes or to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The fragrant, showy white flowers are in large clusters that bloom from mid to late summer and, with deadheading, may bloom into fall. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for spider mites, phlox bugs and stem nematodes. Diseases include powdery mildew, leaf spot and root or crown rot. More information on Phlox paniculata .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Mounding
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth; Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3-5 inch long lance-shaped green leaves taper to a point
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Panicles of densely packed tubular white flowers. Individual 5-petaled flowers are small at 1/2 to 1 inch diameter but the pyramidal flower clusters are 6-10 inches long Blooms mid to late summer of fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit detail
The fruit is a longitudinally dehiscent capsule with three or more valves that sometimes separate explosively.
Stem detail
Stiff, upright stems seldom need staking.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America (hybrid)
Wildlife value
Provides nectar to butterflies, skippers, hummingbird moths, sphinx moths, and hummingbirds. Deer, rabbits browse on the foliage.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Moths; Small Mammals