Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Prefers growing in various dry to mesic, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.

Growth Habit/Description:

Habitats mostly sunny mesic to dry sandy to rocky sites in open woodlands, prairies and meadows. They Habit/form in clumping or spreadings.

Bloom Season:

Blooms from late spring to mid summer. Produces white, red, pink, and purple colored flowers.  Flowers are flat-faced star shape grow to 1/2 inch wide and 1/4 plus inch long and have five petal-like lobes united at the base into a long slender tube.

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

Yes. It is an evergreen giving ground level couverage year round.

Host Plant for polinaters?

Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, and Cloudwing skippers. Bees include bumble bees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees(Nomada spp.), and green metallic bees (Agapostemon spp.) Butterflies, include American Painted Lady, Sulfur, and Swallowtail butterflies.

Other Known Ecological Value?

It provides great nectar source for moths and humming birds. Downy phlox has no serious insect or disease problems although hot, dry conditions can promote spider mite infestations. It has resistanace to powdery mildew.  Wild life food source for animals such as rabbits, deer, and groundhogs will eat the foliage.

Reason for Name:

The genus, Phlox, is derived from the Greek word meaning flame - a reference to flower color of some species. The specific epithet, pilosa, is from Latin meaning "hairy"- reference to the plant's pubescence.

Special features:

The flowers ar showy pale pink to lavender, fragrant and extremily attractive to butterflies.  It has a velvety soft texture on leaves.

Missouri Botanical Garde. Raleigh (MO) Phlox pilosa var ozarkana. [Cited 2024, September 18]

Available from: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=285447&isprofile=0&n=1, 

Arkansas Native Plant Society. Phlox pilosa var ozarkana. [Cited 2024, September 18]

Available from:https://anps.org/2023/02/21/know-your-natives-downy-phlox/ 

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (NC State Extension).Phlox pilosa ssp. ozarkana. [Cited 2024, September 18.]

Available from: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phlox-pilosa/ 

BONAP's North American Plant Atlas. Phlox pilosa ssp. ozarkana.  [Cited 2024, September 18]

Available from: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Phlox%20pilosa.png 

Last edited by Lindsey Cox, September 2024.