downy phlox

(Phlox pilosa ssp. fulgida)

Conservation Status
downy phlox
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Downy phlox is a 6 to 24 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single flowering stem and usually one or more non-flowering stems from a taproot. It often forms clumps.

Flowering stems are unbranched below the inflorescence, and are covered with fine white hairs that are not sticky. Non-flowering stems are similar but smaller, and are erect or ascending.

The leaves are opposite, stalkless, linear to lance-shaped, 1 to 3 long, untoothed, and very narrow. They are rounded at the base and taper to a sharp, hardened tip.

The inflorescence is a flat-topped or round-topped, loosely branched cluster of 20 to 50 or more flowers at the end of the stem. The calyx is covered with fine, shiny or glossy hairs.

The flowers are ½ to ¾ wide. They have 5 white, pink to pale purple, or occasionally lavender, petals. The petals unite at the base forming a long, thin corolla tube, then separate into 5 long, widely spreading lobes. The lobes are inversely egg-shaped, tapering gradually to the throat. They are not notched at the tip. The stamens are visible at the opening of the corolla tube but do not extend beyond the tube.

The fruit is a 3-chambered, egg-shaped capsule with usually 1, rarely 2, seeds per chamber.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

6 to 24

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

White, pink to pale purple, or lavender

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii) has wider leaves that do not narrow to a sharp, hardened tip. The petal lobes abruptly narrow before the throat. The stamens are not visible at the opening of the corolla tube.

Wild sweet William (Phlox maculata) has an unbranched, cylinder-shaped inflorescence.

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a tall, cultivated plant that can get to six feet tall.

Moss phlox (Phlox subulata ssp. subulata) is a prostrate ground cover with whorled, linear to awl-shaped leaves. The flower petals are notched at the tip. It is found in rocky areas and sandy or gravelly soil.

Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is much taller, has alternate, toothed leaves, and has flowers with four petals.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry. Upland woods, pine barrens, and prairies.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

April to June

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  6/13/2022      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Ericales (heathers, balsams, primroses, and allies)  
 

Family

Polemoniaceae (phlox)  
  Subfamily Polemonioideae  
 

Genus

Phlox (phloxes)  
  Section Divaricatae  
  Species Phlox pilosa (prairie phlox)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
       
       
 

Synonyms

 
  Phlox pilosa var. fulgida  
       
 

Common Names

 
 

downy phlox

hairy phlox

shining prairie phlox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Calyx

The group of outer floral leaves (sepals) below the petals, occasionally forming a tube.

 

Corolla

A collective name for all of the petals of a flower.

 

Linear

Long, straight, and narrow, with more or less parallel sides, like a blade of grass.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this plant.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.
 
 

Greg Watson

 
    downy phlox      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    downy phlox   downy phlox  
           
    downy phlox      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    downy phlox   downy phlox  
           
    downy phlox   downy phlox  
           
 

Flower

 
    downy phlox   downy phlox  
           
    downy phlox   downy phlox  
           
    downy phlox      
           
 

Four-lobed Corolla: Downy Phlox or Dame's Rocket?

Most sources note the similarity of downy phlox to dame’s rocket. The two can be distinguished, the sources say, by the number of corolla lobes: five for downy phlox and four for dame’s rocket. All sources, including Gleason & Cronquist (1991)41, state that the number of corolla lobes on downy phlox is five.

These three photos show two downy phlox plants with only four corolla lobes. A third plant was seen at Cedar Rock SNA, July, 2013. In all cases, the four-lobed flower was the first flower on the plant to bloom, and no other flowers on the plant were in bloom. The cross-shaped arrangement of the lobes indicates that a fifth lobe was never present. The shape of the leaves, the shape of the flower cluster, and the dark spots (nectar guides) near the throat of the corolla, all show this to be downy phlox, not dame's rocket.

  downy phlox  
    Glynn Prairie SNA in 2009  
       
    downy phlox  
    Roscoe Prairie SNA in July, 2013  
         
        downy phlox  
        Roscoe Prairie SNA in July, 2013  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Prairie Phlox
J.Steinbock
 
  Prairie Phlox  
  Phlox pilosa fulgida PRAIRIE PHLOX
Frank Mayfield
 
  Phlox pilosa fulgida PRAIRIE PHLOX  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this plant.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

 

 
     
     
       
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Snowberry Clearwing
joanne fellows
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 31, 2012

This sphinx moth is feeding on Phlox pilosa.

   
  DSCN4936.MOV
dwhr69
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 26, 2011

Phlox pilosa site in western Wisconsin.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Greg Watson
5/27/2022

Location: Eagles Bluff Park in La Crescent, MN

downy phlox  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


Last Updated:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | © MinnesotaSeasons.com.com. All rights reserved.