Creeping Phlox is a native ground cover found in the Appalachian mountain areas from PA south to GA. It will perform best in full sun to partial shade, in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It will spread rapidly by above-ground leafy stems (stolons) that root at the nodes to form a mat. It should be kept moist for the first year, especially during hot and dry conditions, but it is very drought tolerant once established. It is an attractive groundcover that will tolerate light foot traffic and is a good addition to rock gardens or used as edging for flower beds. Mass planting on slopes will help control erosion. Creeping phlox needs good air circulation and deadheading to prevent powdery mildew as well as self seeding. Hot, dry sites can lead to problems with spider mites, and slugs can become a pest in wet sites. It is deer and rabbit tolerant. More information on Phlox .
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.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | 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); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Creeping; Dense; Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves have smooth edges, blunt or pointed tips, and average 3” on sterile stems and ¾” on flowering stems.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Florets have 5 flat blue-violet, rosy-lavender, or white rounded petals that flare from a narrow tube.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
The dry fruits will split open when ripe
Stem detail
Phlox stolonifera has fertile stems, which die back after producing seed, and infertile stems that may form a foliage mat to 3" tall and begin new growth the following season.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Appalachian mountains
Distribution
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia