Known variously as creeping phlox or moss phlox, early-flowering Phlox subulata is a familiar friend, a welcome harbinger of spring. Its cheerful five-petaled blooms blanket slopes and spill over walls. We hear you: It’s hard to even imagine spring, let alone plan for it, while the dog days are still raging, hot and humid. But this really is the time to do just that.

A crop of Phlox subulata planted in late summer / early fall has oceans of time to fill its containers with vigorous roots. Sooner than you think, cold nights and short days will shut down vegetative growth. That tough evergreen foliage will hunker down and wait patiently. Sleep tight! 

Come spring, this fall’s head start will manifest itself as full pots, bursting with color. You’ll be glad you thought ahead when you see this low-lying rainbow. All are just 4-6” tall, and hardy all the way down to Zone 2.

‘Candy Stripe’ Pristine white petals with a perky pink stripe.

‘Crimson Beauty’ A flourish of rosy-red flowers.

‘Emerald Blue’ Lavender-blue blooms, and lots of ‘em.

‘Purple Beauty’ Unique deep purple-blue blooms cover neatly mounded plants.

‘Red Wings’ Crimson-pink flowers with dark red centers.

‘Scarlet Flame’ Deep rose with a scarlet eye. 

If your situation can’t accommodate late summer / fall planting, never fear: You can book liners for later, too. But potting now gives you a leg up on the competition. And it’s not like you’ll have nothing else to do in April, right?

Think spring. Think Phlox subulata. Think Emerald Coast Growers – your easy choice!