What are the other names for Phlox drummondii? Phlox flower, five-color plum, grass oleander, etc.

Scientific name: Phlox drummondii

Other names: phlox flower, phlox, five-color plum, grass oleander, bellflower pink, foreign plum flower, small foreign flower, small sky-blue hydrangea

Family and genus: Polemoniaceae, Phlox genus

Origin: native to southern North America, now widely cultivated around the world.

Origin of the name:

The genus name Phlox means flame, because the original species of Phlox has red flowers. The species name was given to commemorate Drummond.

Morphological characteristics:

Plant height 15 to 45 cm. Stems erect, much branched, with glandular hairs. Leaves alternate, basal leaves opposite, broadly ovate, oblong, or needle-shaped, 2 to 7.5 cm long, apex acute or abruptly pointed, base gradually narrowed or slightly clasping the stem, margin entire, upper surface with soft hairs, lower surface with soft hairs only on the glands, leaves sessile, cymes terminal, with short soft hairs; bracts and bracteoles linear; calyx tubular, lobes linear, outer surface with soft hairs; corolla salverform, diameter 2 to 2.5 cm, lobes rounded, stamens not exserted, flower color of the original species is rose red, flowering period May-June. Capsule elliptical, with persistent sepals. Seeds oblong, convex on the back, flat on the ventral side, brown. Seed germination capacity can be maintained for two years, thousand-seed weight 1.55 grams.

There are many horticultural types, divided by flower color:

One flower one color, including white, goose yellow, various shades of red-purple, as well as light purple and deep purple.

One flower two colors, including inner and outer bicolor, tube and limb bicolor, throat with spots, limb with stripes, center of limb with a white five-pointed star-shaped patch, etc.;

One flower three colors, including rose red with white base and yellow center, or purple-red with white center and blue spots, etc. Divided by petal type: round-petal type, star-petal type, fringed-petal type, radiate type, and in addition there are tall and dwarf types, etc.

Phlox drummondii varieties:

"Palona" is a dwarf variety, suitable for small pot cultivation. Plant form neat, strong branching ability at the base, low and trailing, suitable for pot flowers or flower beds.

Varieties:

Round-petal type var. rotundata, petal lobes large and broad, shape round.

Star-petal type var. stellaris, petal margin with three-toothed lobes, the middle tooth longer.

Fringed-petal type var. fimbriata, corolla lobe margin with fine-toothed lobes.

Radiate type var. radiata, corolla lobes lanceolate-oblong, apex pointed. It likes warmth, is slightly cold-tolerant, and dislikes extreme heat.

In the North China region it can overwinter in a cold frame. It prefers well-drained, loose loam, is not drought-tolerant, and dislikes waterlogging.

Commonly propagated by sowing, autumn sowing in warm regions, spring sowing in cold regions, the suitable germination temperature is 15-20°C.

Seed viability can be maintained for 1-2 years. Sow in autumn, after one transplanting of the seedlings, they can be moved to a cold frame to overwinter in early to mid-October, then moved to field beds in early spring, fertilized in time, and can be planted out in mid-April.

The flowering period is relatively long. The capsules mature at different times; to prevent seeds from scattering, the inflorescence can be cut off when most of the capsules turn yellow, then dried and threshed.

Uses:

Phlox drummondii plants are short and have rich flower colors, and can be used as plant material for flower beds, flower borders, and rock gardens, and can also be potted for indoor decoration. Taller varieties can be used as cut flowers.

It has strong resistance to sulfur dioxide and also has a certain resistance to chlorine gas.