Summary ³

Phlox pilosa (downy phlox or prairie phlox) is an herbaceous plant in the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is found in open areas such as prairies and woodlands.

Description ⁴

Family:
Polemoniaceae (Phlox)

Height:
1 to 2 feet

Leaves:
Leaves are lance-shaped (up to 4” long), hairy, toothless, stalkless, and oppositely attached.

Flower:
Bright pink or purple flowers, emerging from hairy stalks in a terminal cluster, consist of 5 petals which fuse into a tube at their base.

Bloom time:
May-July

Nicknames:
Downy Phlox

Habitat:
Prairie Phlox grows best in full to partial sun, in moist to dry conditions across a range of loamy soils. It is commonly found in dry to moist prairies, open woodlands, savannas, and thickets.

Wildlife Benefits:
Flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Foliage is a food source for small mammals, caterpillars, aphids, and beetles.

Can I plant this in my garden?
This plant does well in sunny areas with average soils, and is attractive to both humans and pollinators alike. While fairly easy to grow, it may be difficult to establish in open areas or garden plantings without a physical barrier, as it is susceptible to damage by herbivory from deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and other small mammals.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-phlox
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_phloxx.htm
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phlox-pilosa/

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Frank Mayfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/33397993@N05/4383495504
2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlox_pilosa
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalistAU taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

iNaturalistAU Map