Phlox paniculata Modern Art

Phlox paniculata 'Modern Art' is a hybrid variety of medium-sized phlox with large rounded flowers of raspberry pink colour, adorned with a wide white star in the centre. The sturdy stems bear voluminous and fragrant flowers. The foliage has narrow and lanceolate leaves.  This phlox is suitable for planting in pots or in the ground, as an edge plant or in the front of borders, in any moist soil, preferably in the sun.

Phlox paniculata belongs to the family of Polemoniaceae. It is a robust perennial native to the fertile and damp meadows of the eastern United States. 'Modern Art' is a hybrid obtained in 2013 by the Dutch horticulturist Jan Verschoor. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with woody roots forming a dense clump of leafy stems that reach a height of 60 cm (24in) and a width of 40 cm (16in). Its stiff and sturdy stems are covered with alternate, simple, lanceolate and narrow dark green leaves, with a slightly shiny appearance. Flowering occurs in July and August. The flowers are large, measuring about 4 cm (2in) in diameter. They have a raspberry pink corolla with a white heart, in the shape of a star. They are grouped at the end of erect, dense and round flowers about 15 cm (6in) in diameter, slightly bending the stems due to their weight. The flowering is nectariferous. Under good growing conditions, phlox can live for many years in the garden.

This phlox appreciates a sunny position, although it tolerates some shade. Its rather compact stature makes it a good subject for the foreground of borders, flower beds, or pots in gardens of any size. In traditional gardens, as well as in romantic-inspired flower beds or cottage gardens, phlox offer a long and generous flowering period. They go well with flowers of different shapes, lighter in appearance, such as Liatris spicata, Heleniums, Asters, or the small purple heads of Allium sphaerocephalon. White flowers, echoing the white accents of 'Modern Art', such as white roses, gauras, or dahlias, are excellent companions.