Phlox paniculata Purple Flame

Phlox paniculata 'Purple Flame' is part of a series of very compact phlox varieties, with particularly colourful and fragrant flowers. This recent selection produces an abundance of intense purple flowers adorned with a small dark purple eye. Its beautiful dense foliage, vivid green, proves to be highly resistant to diseases. The tubular flowers are gathered in beautiful pyramidal panicles that bloom all summer in damp and fertile soil. It is an accommodating perennial, easy to grow, particularly suitable for borders, occupying the front of flower beds or flowering pots.

Phlox paniculata 'Purple Flame' belongs to the family Polemoniaceae. It is a recent variety, forming a dense clump of leafy stems not exceeding 40 cm (16in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in width. The stems, stiff and strong, are covered with bright green leaves, measuring 12 cm (5in) in length. Flowering begins in mid-July, at the height of summer, and continues until September, provided that faded inflorescences are removed. The small flowers have a tubular corolla, of a very bright pinkish purple colour, shining in the sun. They are grouped at the end of the upright, dense and pyramidal stems, 15 cm (6in) in length, which are wonderfully fragrant. The flowering is melliferous and nectariferous.

Phlox are perennial plants accustomed to cottage gardens, as their legendary simplicity and generosity are almost unmatched in perennial beds. They go well with Monarda 'Mohawk'  or Daisies 'Wirral Supreme' Daisies.  Phlox paniculata 'Purple Flame' can be combined with dwarf asters (Aster dumosus), red daylilies, intense blue perennial flax, or white flowers of miniature roses with which it forms a very cheerful ensemble. Dwarf phlox make good companions for ageratums, buglosses, providing a colour contrast. The Phlox paniculata 'Purple Flame' is a top-notch perennial to brighten up flowering pots and planters that will decorate balconies and patios.