The genus Phlox includes about sixty-eight recognized species. Almost all are native to North America; the principal exception is one species, Phlox sibirica, found in Siberia, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and appeared for the first time on page 151 of the first volume of his monumental Species Plantarum, dated May 1, 1753. Linnaeus chose Phlox from the ancient Greek word phlóx—“flame”—an allusion to the bright, flame-like flower masses of many Phloxes.
Four species of Phlox commonly occur along the GAP. Usually the first to flower is Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata), blooming in April and May. It thrives on dry, sunny, rocky banks and gravelly areas along the trail. Commonly only 3–6 inches high, it forms a dense moss-like carpet that can spread outward 2–3 feet or more. Forest Phlox, also known as Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata), blooms from Late April to early June in deciduous woods, shaded trail edges, and wooded stream margins. Meadow Phlox, or Wild Sweet-William (Phlox maculata), found in wet meadows, thickets, and along stream and river edges, usually flowers in June and can persist through the summer. From early July into September the tall, showy Fall Phlox, or Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata), can be found in flower along sunny or lightly shaded trail edges, and in thickets and disturbed openings along the GAP. This species is the ancestor of many cultivated Phloxes now found in gardens, so Fall Phlox along the GAP may be native, planted, escaped from gardens, or influenced by cultivated genetics.
All the Phloxes are decidedly ornamental, providing brilliant splashes of red, pink, pale blue, lavender, and lilac sure to excite and titillate the senses of swooning GAPers. But the Phloxes are not just an assortment of pretty faces. On a more utilitarian note, their tubular flowers provide abundant nectar to long-tongued insects, particularly butterflies, moths, skippers, and some bee flies. Woodland phlox in particular is a favorite of bumblebees, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and moths. The Cherokee reportedly used a wash made from an infusion of Meadow Phlox root, said “to make children grow and fatten,” but beyond this the recorded medicinal use of the various Phlox species by Indigenous peoples is scant. Nor are the Phloxes considered edible, although they do provide a feast for the eyes.
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| Moss Phlox |
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| Moss Phlox |
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| Moss Phlox |
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| Forest Phlox |
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| Forest Phlox |
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| Forest Phlox |
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| Forest Phlox |
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Meadow Phlox
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| Meadow Phlox |
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| Meadow Phlox |
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| Fall Phlox |
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| Fall Phlox |
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| Fall Phlox |
