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Pink to lavender
Groundcover

Creeping Phlox

Phlox subulata

A sheet of spring color that spills over walls and stitches a dry, sunny slope together.

the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwest

Growing Creeping Phlox

Evergreen, mat-forming, and tough as nails in lean rocky soil. One of the earliest nectar sources for spring butterflies. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and evergreen.

Where it grows

Creeping Phlox is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky and 24 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Creeping Phlox on 34 state pages.

Good for

Sourcing

Where to buy Creeping Phlox

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Creeping Phlox’s range and conditions.

Perennial wildflower

Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Frothy white heads alive with small native bees and wasps, for ground that stays damp.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Scarlet Beebalm

Monarda didyma

A hummingbird magnet with fireworks-red blooms for moist, rich soil at a woodland edge.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2.5–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium maculatum

Statuesque domes of vanilla-scented mauve that swallowtails and monarchs cover in late summer.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 4–7 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep