Bulletin: Number 588. Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station.
Publication Info: Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, New York State College of Agriculture. March, 1934
Bulletin 588
March 1934
History, Culture, and Varieties
of Summer-Flowering Phloxes
A.M.S.Pridham
BRIDESMAID, A TALL, VIGOROUS PHLOX
The individual florest are white, with a rose-pink eye which is slightly diffused over the petal so that in mass the variety appears to be of very delicate pink color. [подпись к фотографии]
Published by the
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
Ithaca, New York
Received for publication July 5, 1933
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CONTENTS
PAGE
Botany of the phlox…………………………………………………….. 3
Botanical description of early-flowering species……… 3
Section Subulatae ………………………………………….. 3
Section Divarikatae ………………………………………… 5
Section Ovatae ………………………………………………. 6
Botanical description of Phlox paniculata ……………… 7
History of the phlox …………………………………………………… 8
The first hybrids ……………………………………………………. 8
The suffruticosa varieties ……………………………………… 9
The decussata varieties ……………………………………….. 9
Dwarf perennial phloxes …………………………………………12
History of phloxes in American gardening ……………..13
Culture of the phlox …………………………………………….. 14
Description of the plant …………………………………………14
Horticultural value ………………………………………………….14
Preparation of the soil ……………………………………………14
Planting ………………………………………………………………….14
Cultivation ……………………………………………………………..15
Propagation ……………………………………………………………16
Diseases and insect pests of phlox …………………………..19
Varieties of phlox ……………………………………………………….20
The suffruticosa group……………………………………………20
The decussata group……………………………………………. 23
Selected varieties ………………………………………………….26
References cited …………………………………………………..30
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HISTORY, CULTURE, AND VARIETIES
OF SUMMER-FLOWERING PHLOXES
A.M.S.Pridham
All the Phlox species, with the exception of Phlox siberica, are native to North America, and many of them are native to New York. The season of bloom lasts from early spring till frost, and at least one species will thrive in almost any location The early-flowering species often grow best in relatively poor soil and in a shady or partially shaded garden. The summer-flowering species thrive in the open sunlight and in rich soil.
The purpose of this bulletin is to discuss the history, culture, and popular varieties of the summer-flowering phloxes. The characteristics and native habitat of the spring-flowering group are summarized briefly from the recent publications of Wherry (1929, 1930, 1931). The successful cultivation of these early-flowering phloxes, in either the rock garden or the native garden, depends on rather strict adherence to the soil and light conditions of the native habitat. With the exception of Phlox divaricata and Phlox subulata, there are very few horticultural varieties of the spring-flowering species.
Phlox drummondii, the best-known of the annual phloxes, has been cultivated for about a century. It is a very satisfactory plant, both in the garden and as a cut flower. There are many types and varieties of this species.
BOTANY OF THE PHLOX
Phlox belongs to the Polemoniaceae (Polemonium family), of which Gilia and Polemonium are other well-known members. The genus is distinguished by the salver-form corolla, slender calyx, and opposite, entire leaves. Bailey (1924) describes Phlox as follows:
About 50 annual and perennial temp.-region herbs, sometimes woody at base, with showy fls. of fhe blue, purple, pink, and crimson series, frequently white, of which one is Siberian and the others N. American.- Sometimes cespitose: lvs. opposite or the upper ones infrequently alternate, entire; fls. cymose, paniculate or thyrsoid; calyx narrow, prominently toothed or lobed, becoming distended and at length burst by the maturing fr.; corolla prominent, strongly convolute, salverform, the tube slender and constricted at the throat, the lobes obovate or orbicular and often retuse or lobed; stamens unequally placed, with short filamens and the anthers mostly included; style commonly filiform; caps, ovoid, 3-valved.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF EARLY-FLOWERING SPECIES
Werry grouped the early-flowering species into three sections: Subulatae (P. nivalis, P. subulata, and P. bifida), Divaricatae (P. divaricata, P. pilosa, and P. amoena), and Ovatae (P. stolonifera, P. ovata, P. Carolina, P. glaberrima, and P. maculate). The following descriptions are taken mainly from his publications.
Section Subulatae
“Members are characterized by having woody, trailing-decumbents stems, narrow persistent leaves, and cymes of few rather long-pedicelled flowers.” – Wherry, 1929.
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Fhlox nivalis Loddiges was listed by Plukenet (1696) as «Lychnidaea Blattariae accedens Virginiana minor, repens hirsutis Camphoratae foliis, floribus fistulosis in Umbellam sitis.» It is native as far north as southern Virginia, and is not entirely hardy in the northeastern part of the United States. It is typically an inhabitant of dry, thin, oak or pine woods where the soil is commonly a mixture of sand and clay often rich in humus. This species is seldom cultivated.
Phlox sabulata Linne (moss pink) was listed by Plukenet (1696) as «Lychnidaea Blattariae accedens Virginiana, Camphoratae congeneris glabris foliis, flore ad summitatem ramulorum singulari.» It occurs through the coastal plain, northward from western North Carolina to southwestern Michigan and central New York. Аs an escape, it is found also from New York to eastern Maine.
The characteristic habitat of P. sabulata is a bare sunny slope where the soil is sandy or gravelly and rock ledges lie near the surface. Humus may be present in considerable amounts, but often is lacking. Moisture is usually very scant.
The earliest record of the introduction of P. subulata is contained in a letter from John Bartram to Peter Collinson dated December 10, 1745, published by Darlington (1849:173). In this letter a shipment of «one
[Figure 1. PHLOX SUBULATA. AN EXELLENT VARIETY FOR THE NATIVE, OR WILD, GARDEN, AND ALSO FOR THE ROCK GARDEN]
sod of the fine creeping spring Lychnis» was mentioned. As time went on, varieties of P. subulata appeared on the market, such as Nelsonii originated by Nelson about 1852 (Nelson, 1872). P. subulate vivid, a bright-colored and luxuriant variant of the species itself, and the variety G.F. Wilson which is intermediate between P. subulata and P. bifida, are two of the best. There is also a lilac-colored form. All are excellent material for the rock garden (McCully, 1927: Anonymous, 1931) and may also be used for forcing indoors during the winter (Russel, 1841).
Phlox bifida Beck (sand phlox) is native west of the Allegheny Mountains from northen Tennessee to southeastern Kansas, eastern Iowa, and southwestern Michigan. It is an occupant of relatively sterile sandy or rocky soil, and is found chiefly on bare cliffs where it forms great festoons.
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In spite of the attractive aspect of most of its variants, P. bifida has not been cultivated to any extent. It deserves more attention from horticulturists.
Section Divaricatae
«Its members differ from those of the former section in that the stems are scarcely if at all woody, the leaves axe fewer, larger, and less persistent, and the inflorescence is a more compound cyme of short-pedicelled flowers; in these the sepals are united for 1/3 to 1/2 their length, and the stamens and styles are much shorter than the corolla-tube. The western species included in the section by Peter are not treated here, but four eastern ones are recognized. In the following synopsis these are arranged in the order of increasing compactness of inflorescence.»—Wherry, 1930.
Phlox divaricata Linne (blue phlox) was discovered in the early colonial days and was listed by Plukenet (1700) as «Lychnidea Virginiana Blattariae accedens, Alsines aquaticae foliis, floribus summo caule brachiatis, sive in ramulos divaricatis.» The earliest reference to its introduction to horticulture is contained in the catalog (Dillwyn, 1843) of Peter Collinson’s garden: «A very pale blue early Lychnidea, in flower May 5, 1740, not in England before; now in most gardens; from the Susquehanna River.»
P. divaricata is one of the most wide-ranging of all the species, occurring from western Florida to eastern Texas, southern Minnesota, and southernmost Quebec. It is typically a rich woods plant, growing on alluvial flats, on ravine slopes, and to some extent on rock ledges especially where these are calcareous. The soil may be sandy or clayey, and is usually well supplied with humus.
The horticultural value of this phlox is well known, many dealers now listing it under various combinations of the names divaricata, canadensis, laphami, and so forth. The variety with violet (blue) entire-lobed corollas (P. divaricata laphami) is a very showy plant and especially vigorous.
P. divaricata has been used as one of the parents of a series of hybrids originated by George Arends, of Ronsdorf, Germany, and exhibited in England in 1912. These hybrids resemble P. divaricata more closely than they do P. panikulala, the other parent. The varieties Grete (dull white), Charlotte (pale lilac with a dark eye), and Kathe (purple rose-colored with a dark eye) are found in the American trade. The plants grow to a height of 18 inches, in rather lax clumps. Their chief value is their novelty, though they may be used to good advantage in the rock garden, where they flower from late June to August.
Phlox pilosa Linne (downy phlox) was listed by Plukenet (1696) as «Lychnidaea umbellifera Blatteriae accedens Virginiana major, repens, Pseudo-melanthii foliis pilosis, flore albo, pentapetaloide, fistuloso.» It has a range extending farther west and northwest than that of P. divaricata, but not so far northeast. The plant grows in many habitats, but seldom thrives in the rich soils of gardens.
Phlox amoena Sims (Sims, 1810) has a rather restricted range—from Florida to eastern Mississippi, southern Kentucky, and North Carolina. Its most frequent habitat is thin woods in rather sterile soil. It rarely thrives in rich garden soils. «P. verna Hort.,» more correctly known as P. procumbens Lehmann, is the only form listed in the trade.
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[Figure 2. PHLOX DIVARICATA. AN ATTRACTIVE VARIETY FOR PLANTING IN THE NATIVE, OR WILD, GARDEN AND IN THE ROCK GARDEN]
Section Ovatae
“Differs from the one next preceding in that the sepals are usualy united to half their length or more, and the stamens and style are nearly or quite as long as the corolla-tube.»—Wherry, 1931.
Phlox stolonifera Sims (creeping phlox), discovered by John Fraser in 1786, ranges from Georgia to Ohio and Pennsylvania. It occupies rich woods in non-calcareous regions, where its stems creep through the subacid leaf litter. Most gardens are not sufficiently shady, nor rich enough in acid humus, to suit it, and it is rarely grown.
Phlox ovata Linne (mountain phlox) was listed by Plukenet (1700) as «Lychnidea fistulosa Marilandica, Clinopodii vulgaris folio flore amplо singulari.» It is essentially a southern-Appalachian plant but ranges within the glaciated territory of Indiana and Ohio as well. It grows chiefly in open woods or thickets, in soils either high or low in humus.
The showy flowers early attracted the attention of the horticulturists, and Sims (1801) states that the plant was common in English gardens before 1801. The species is not very long-lived in rich garden soils, but it is well suited for wild areas where the soil is sterile and acid.
Phlox carolina Linne (thick-leaf phlox) was listed by Martyn (1728, 1752) as Lychnidea caroliniana. In 1803 Ventenat (1804) applied the name P. suffruticosa to plants of this species, growing in the gardens at the Malmaison, which had been procured from Fraser. Wherry accepts this phlox, P. Carolina. as comprising the plant so named by Linne and
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various intermediates betwen P. ovata, P. glaberrima, and P. maculata to which many different names have been given.
P. carolina is native chiefly in the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, from Georgia and Alabama to Maryland, with local extensions into the piedmont, the central lowland, and the coastal plain. It develops best in the subacid soil of open woodlands.
Phlox glaberrima Linne (Dillenius, 1732) (smooth-leaf phlox) is native to South Carolina, Florida, and west to Wisconsin and Arkansas where it grows in meadows. This phlox is distinguished by its linear or linear-lanceolate leaves. Its varieties are generally cultivated under the name suffruticosa.
Phlох maculata Linne (spotted-stemmed phlox) is recorded as early as 1731 (Miller, 1807), and is listed by Ventenat (1804) as P. suaveolens, which appears to be the early horticultural name of this phlox. P. maculata is not cultivated extensively in American gardens. It is native to the region from Pennsylvania to Iowa and south to Florida.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF PHLOX PANICULATA
Section Paniculatae is described as follows by Wherry (1933): «Its distinctive features comprise wholly deciduous foliage, relatively large leaves with prominent areolate veins and minutely hispid-serrulate margins, a compound corymbose-paniculate inflorescence, whitish anthers, and styles equalling or exceeding the corolla-tube.»
Wherry’s description of Phlox paniculata Linne is as follows: «Mature plant 75 to 200 cm. tall, with numerous nodes; leaves tending to be sub-opposite, narrow to moderately broad, their surfaces glabrous to pubescent but rarely coarse-bristly; inflorescence more or less pubescent but infrequently glandular; corolla-tube often pubescent; one or more anthers exserted.»
Phlox amplifolia Britton has been regarded by some botanists as a synonym of P. paniculata. Wherry considers it sufficiently different to deserve independent status. The mature plants are not so tall nor so vigorous as those of P. paniculata, and are rarely cultivated.
P. paniculata was imported from North America in 1732 by Dr. James Sherard, of England (Aiton, 1810), and was first described under the name Lychnidea folio Salicino. It rarely produced seed under the conditions prevailing in England, and had to be propagated by root division.
In 1812, one Mr. Lyons, of England, imported plants of P. paniculata, naming them P. decussata, under which name they were disseminated in the trade (Sims, 1817). In 1821, P. acuminate was grown by M. Noisette, of Nancy, France, who received his stock from England. The species was soon accepted as synonymous with P. decussata.
During the early part of the nineteenth century a number of nurserymen imported P. paniculata, each applying a new name to the species. Thus, in 1823, David Cameron, gardener to Robert Barclay of Bury Hill, England, received a lilac-colored form from T. Nuttall under the name P. cordata (Springle, 1825). P. corymbosa, early recognized as a horticultural form of P. panculata, was included in Barclay’s rich collection (Sweet, 1833) and in that of Young, of Epsom. Sweet (1835) considered P. scabra as synonymous with P. paniculata. Barclay had P. scabra under
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the name P. Sickmani and P. Americana. The form P. scabra Americana was in the trade in 1842 (Taylor, 1842). P. panculata was imported to France from North America by M. Lemon about 1829 and was named P. macrophylla.
HISTORY OF THE PHLOX
THE FIRST HYBRIDS
The commercial importation of phloxes to England took place largely through Peter Collinson, who received regular shipments from John Bartram and Dr. Witt. Philip Miller helped to support Bartram’s expeditions, and received a portion of each of the shipments; this accounts for the number of phloxes which Miller claims the distinction ot having introduced to English gardening (Barnhart, 1931). Records are available, both of the correspondence which took place between John Bartram and Peter Collinson, and also of the notes which Collinson made of the growth of the plants that he received from the New World.
In 1740, Bartram (Darlington, 1849:137) refers to «the Lychnis with crosswort leaves» (P. panculala). In 1743, in reply to Collinson’s praise of a plant in the garden of Dr. Witt, who was a special admirer of phloxes, Bartram wrote as follows (page 164 of reference):
Our swamps and low grounds are full of them. I had so contemptible an opinion of it, as not to think it worth sending, nor afford it room in my garden; . . . The other, which I brought from Virginia, grows with me about five feet high, bearing large spikes of different coloured flowers, for three or four months in the year, exceedingly beautiful. I have another wild one, finely speckled, and striped with red upon a white ground, and a red eye in the middle—the only one I ever saw.
In the notes which Collinson made of the plants in his garden, little regard was paid to botany. But after his death, these notes were used by Dillwyn as the basis for his Hortus Collinsonianus, the following extracts from which are pertinent (Dillwyn, 1843) :
Phlox paniculata. «Lychnidea fol. Persica, flo. in spicam depositis.» «1744 a new Lychnidea, sent by J. Bartram, with a large spike of pale reddish purple flowers, with peach-shaped leaves, flowered in July and August, called in Virginia Sawpit flower.»
Phlox paniculata Var.? Not in catalogue. «Flowered in my garden June 6, 1740, not in England before, a new Lychnidea, with broad green leaves, folia persica, and deep reddish purple flowers,» to which has been added «since dead.»
From the above it is evident that hybrids of P. paniculata were to be found in nature, and this may account for some of the synonymy whicn existed during the early nineteenth century.
Probably the first hybrids to be raised under cultivation were of P. paniculuta. Shephardii, introduced by S. Shephard of Bedford, and Wheelerii, introduced bi G. Wheeler of Warminster were both grown as early as 1824. The varieties Wheelerii elegans and Wheelerii latifolia were common by 1837. In 1827, Dickson & Co., of Edinburgh, catalogued a variety of P. maculata (P. suaveolens) with variegated leaves, which they called P. suaveolens variegata. This firm listed also P. ovata Listonia, which is variously recorded as originated by Liston and as named in honor of Lady Liston.
One of the best-known hybrids of the time was P. coldryana, raised before 1835 by Mr. Coldry, of the Bristol Nursery (Paxton, 1840). The
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parentage of this phlox is uncertain, but P. paniculata (P. cordata) has been suggested as one of the parents.
Other varieties of P. paniculata raised during this period were P. cordata grandifiora (Clark, of East Redford), P. cordata ingrami (John Ingram, of Southampton), P. Bridgesii (C. J. & P. Young, of Epsom) named in honor of Lady Bridges, and P. cordata omniflora (England), which was said to be as hardy as an oak and of which there were several horticultural forms. Lorrainii and Murrayana might be mentioned also.
Not all of the phlox hybrids popular on the Continent were of English origin. M. Lemon offered the varieties grandiflora, fragrans, and superba before 1832, and M. Souchet, of Fontainebleau, introduced a seedling of P. paniculata (P. decussata) in 1833 under the name rosea superba.
THE SUFFRUTICOSA VARIETIES
During the latter part of the decade 1830-40, a group of phlox hybrids of P. maculate (P. suaveolens), a kind with white blooms placed in a pyramidal form, and P. carolina, a kind with purple-red well-marked florets, became very popular. The progeny of the cross is described as having been dwarf in habit, with beautifully rounded and usually two-colored florets in large crowded panicles; the foliage was of shining lanceolate leaves, more or less broad. Subsequent generations approached the paternal characteristics more closely than the maternal.
M. Rodigas, professor at the Ecole d’Horticole de l’Etat a Gendburghe les Gand, was an associate of Louis Van Houtte and a specialist in phloxes. Van Houlte purchased from Rodigas a seedling of the parentage described above. The price paid was 1200 francs (Jonghe, 1845), and the seedling was disseminated under the name Van Houttei. This phlox received both horticultural and botanical recognition, and was soon widely grown throughout Europe and America.
The effect of Van Houtte’s purchase was to stimulate the naming of phlox seedlings and to encourage many growers to turn their attention to phlox. The variety Van Houttei was not always popular; one writer (Anonymous, 1842) stated that it was not superior to nor more popular than the variety Princesse Marianne (introduced by Mme. Van Gavers, of Antwerp, in 1838), which had been common in the gardens of Berlin for some years. In America, the varieties Frelinghuysen (Carter) and Breckii (Breck) were considered equal in merit to Van Houttei.
Hovey (1849) described Rodigas as the greatest of all phlox-breeders, and stated that he raised more than thirty thousand seedlings. Definite record is available of more than seventy, the most important of which are Van Houttei, Rodigasii, and Leopoldiana. The last-named variety is recorded as the first cross between P. drummondii, the annual phlox, and a variety of the perennial type, in this case probably Van Houttei (Anonymous. 1849).
THE DECUSSATA VARIETIES
By 1850 it was apparent that the suffruticosa hybrids, in spite of their beauty of color, size of panicle, and continuous habit of flowering, were not suitable subjects for the average garden. The original type was of a somewhat tender nature, suffering from both the summer’s heat and the winter’s cold, and most of the varieties grew poorly on sandy soils.
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Interest soon turned to P. paniculata (P. decussata, P. acuminata), as this species and its derivatives were very vigorous and perfectly hardy. The French were particularly interested in P. panculata hybrids, and at the Exposition des Produits de l’Agriculture et de l’Industrie in Paris (Baudement, 1849) the phlox exhibits of M. Pele, M. Lierval, and M. Chauviere received special mention.
The interest in the decussata group was due to the efforts of Lierval, who, as a young man, took up the breeding of phloxes in 1839. His aim was the improvement of the decussata group, which he describes as follows (Lierval, 1866). The quotations are translated from the original French.
At the time of its introduction, P. decussata showed the following characteristics: Stems 35-49 cm. in height, rather slender, straight, and upright, covered with a fine down, angular, the angles rounded. Leaves opposite and placed crosswise, oval lanceolate, narrowed at the base and slightly petioled, narrowed and long-pointed at the top, finely downy on the under surface, creased in the center at the point of insertion. Flowers red, more or less varied with clear or shaded purple, placed in corymb-like loose panicles, calyx finely downy on the outside with five narrow and pointed sepals.
Lierval claims to have increased the size of the corolla, enlarged its lobes, and produced a more rounded floret; to have procured infinite variation in color; and to have enlarged and elongated the panicles. He describes the ideal phlox as follows:
1. The inflorescence
The panicle should be rather more elongatedthan flat. In flat panicles the lower branches elongate to the detriment of the center of the panicle, which completes its flowering before the lower branches have begun to flower, hence leaving the center open. Flongated panicles do not have this fault, and only those corymb-like-panicled varieties which flower perfectly should be encouraged.
2. The form of the corolla
The ideal corolla is perfectly round and the individual lobes overlap one another. Cup-shaped corollas are not desirable.
3. Color
a. Pure white; the corolla should be pure white, alsothe tube, for if it shows the least shade of violet the corolla will become colored as it fades.
b. White as a ground color; in this group the corolla should be pure white except for the eye, which is very sharply defined.
4. Other shades
The dark colors are very popular and new shades are much sought after.
Lierval claims the distinction of having originated the type “white with sharply defined eye,” and states that those white varieties in which the color is diffused over the floret were very popular.
Many growers introduced varieties during the period from 1850 to 1860. M. Dufois gained prominence through his variety Rive D’Amour, and M. Dubus through P. Criterion (Van Houtte, 1852-55), a hybrid between the perennial type P. depressa and the annual P. drummondii Sanberg, gardener to Baron Van Heeckeren van Wassenaar, introduced Triomphe de Twickel (Van Houtte, 1857), which was noted as the most blotched of all phloxes. Messrs. Downie and Laird, of Edinburgh, had a very large collection of phloxes which included most of the French varieties. Peter Buck, of St. Petersburg, Russia, also had a fine collection. In America, Hovey and others kept pace with the European introductions, which they imported freely; but at the same time they raised a number of seedlings.
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[Figure 3. THE FLAT PANICLE OF THE VARIETY B. COMTE]
[Figure 4. THE PYRAMIDAL PANICLE OF THE VARIETY VIKING]
[Figure 2. A GLOBOSE PANICLE TYPICAL OF A YOUNG SHOOT, VARYETY MRS. ETHEL PRITCHARD]
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The varieties raised between 1840 and 1875 which are still in the trade are listed in table 1.
TABLE 1. PHLOX VARIETIES ORIGINATED FROM 1840 TO 1875 WHICH ARE STILL IN THE TRADE
| Variety | Originator | Data |
| Adonis | Rendatler | 1868 |
| Amphytrion | Rodigas | 1845 |
| Belle Pyramid | Rendatler | 1868 |
| Bicolor | Rodigas | 1848 |
| Brilliant | Fontaine | 1859 |
| Crepuscule | Fontaine | 1853 |
| Diana | Rendatler | 1857 |
| Dugueschlin | Lemoine | 1863 |
| Enchantress | Unknown | 1859 |
| Exquisite | Ellwanger & Barry | 1867 |
| Fernand Cortez | Lierval | 1863 |
| Goethe van Houtte | Rodigas | 1847 |
| Jeanne d’Arc | Crousse | 1859 |
| La Candeur | Lierval | 1862 |
| L’ Avenir | Fontaine | 1867 |
| Magnificence | Fontaine | 1856 |
| Mathilda | Rodigas | 1844 |
| Neptune | Fontaine | 1858 |
| Richard Wallace | Lierval | 1870 |
| Saison Lierval | Lierval | 1865 |
DWARF PERENNIAL PHLOXES
Dwarf varieties were, from the beginning, particularly popular for both pot and garden culture. Lierval tried to establish this type, and, while there were some representatives among his varieties, dwarf phloxes were not recognized as a class till after his unfortunate death in the Franco-Prussian War (Anonymous, 1871), when interest in phloxes shifted to the south of France.
M. Chretien, head gardener at the Parc de Tete d’Or, is credited by Carriere and Andre (1889) with the origination of the dwarf perennial type of phlox. The type is described as being dwarf without being pinched back or being grown in pots. Propagation was effected by making cuttings of the woody section of the stem next to the base of the plant. The cuttings were taken in the fall of the year and were heeled in as are rose cuttings over winter, to be potted in the spring.
Lemoine met the demand for dwarf phlox by creating a race of suffruticosa varieties which could be treated as annuals (Vilmorin, 1902). The seeds were planted in the fall and the seedlings were transplanted in the spring to the desired location. They began to bloom in July and continued till frost in October.
In 1875, M. Crozy, of Lyons, introduced six varieties said to have been raised by M. Denis (Lambertye, 1876) from the old variety Gloire de Lyons (Denis Sr.). Dwarf varieties were still of sufficient popularity in 1903 (Anonymous, 1903) for a special note to be made of them as such when Leveque et Fils introduced L’Epatant, President Viger, Pucelle, and Yvrienne.
Among other varieties which excited admiration, Comtesse de Jarnac was the most important. This variety is recorded by Rudolph (1901) as a sport derived in 1890 by M. Lacour, of Domaine de Conde, who found it growing as a branch of a named variety. The foliage was variegated
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with white blotches, and the flowers were of a rose color. The plant did not grow over 25 centimeters in height. The variety Ferdinand Lahaye (Anonymous, 1901) also was prized as a dwarf mottled variety obtained by chance in the garden of M. Gerbeaux, of Nancy. The leaves were strongly mottled with yellow in the young plants, but became almost normal green as the plant matured. Gloire d’Orleans (Anonymous, 1901) was another variety in this general class. Croix de Saint-Louis (Carriere, 1865), a variety whose florets had a narrow white margin, was noteworthy also.
HISTORY OF PHLOXES IN AMERICAN GARDENING
The initial plantings of phlox in America were doubtless made in the early colonial gardens of Virginia and Carolina, where the plant was cultivated under the name sawpit flower (Dillwyn, 1843). Dr. Witt, of Pennsylvania, was probably the first phlox enthusiast in this countrv. Several species were introduced into Europe from his garden.
Following the period of importation of phlox species to Europe, botanical gardens were founded at Philadelphia, Charleston, New York, and Cambridge. The records of these gardens in the early part of the nineteenth century contain several references to phlox. The most complete list, published by Muhlenberg (1818), includes seventeen species.
European hybrids were imported by American nurserymen as early as 1820. Prince (1823), Buist (1854), and Hovey (1846) were among the leaders. Joseph Вreck (1851) and William Carter raised and introduced seedlings of P. panculata as early as 1837, and by 1850 Breck had raised several thousand seedlings of which about fifty were introduced into the trade. Of these early introductions, Breckii (Breck), Frelinghuysen (Carter), Henry Clay (Carter), and Perfection (Breck) were the most important.
In 1844 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Hovey, 1844) made its first special award for seedling phloxes. Frelinghuysen (Carter) won the first premium, $3, and Estella (Walker) won the second, $2. American seedlings were very popular for a time; but shortly after the introduction of Van Houttei and the numerous European varieties which followed in its wake, interest waned, and by 1860 the first burst of enthusiasm had passed and phloxes came to occupy the relative position which they hold today.
European varieties have always played the greater role in the American trade, although the American varieties R. P. Struthers (Rea), Riverton Jewel (Dreer), and Debs, Maid Marion, and Ruby (all Fewkes originations) are widely grown today. Massachusetts remains the center of interest in phlox-breeding, G. N. Smith, Rea, Fewkes, Dove, Heurlin, and others having produced many fine varieties. W. Fryer, of Minnesota, and D. M. Andrews, of Colorado, also have introduced a number of varieties. W. F. Schmeiske of Kirkwood, New York, has combined the disease-free character and the flowering habit of the dwarf varieties with the taller and more luxuriant growth of the decussata hybrids. Among the resulting varieties, Mrs. W. G. Harding and Mrs. Livingston Farrand are particularly outstanding.
The majority of the foreign varieties in the present American trade are from Lemoine, Pfitzer, Ruys, Goos & Koenemann, Arends, Jones, and Aldersey.
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CULTURE OF THE PHLOX
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT
The phlox is a typical herbaceous plant, the stems dying down to the ground each fall. There are no definite storage organs, as in the peony, the delphinium, and the dahlia. The base of the stem is woody, and the fusion of a number of stems forms a crown from which a large number of stolon-like roots arise. These roots are produced in the fall, shortly after the flowering season. They are composed of two distinct regions: an outer cortex, prominent in young roots and covered with numerous downy root hairs, but reduced to a barky covering in old roots; and an inner stele from which all root branches arise. The individual roots are sparsely branched except near the tip. The root area is extended by elongation of prevailing roots and production of numerous new roots at the crown of the plant. While roots may extend 2 feet or more from the crown, they are seldom more than 6 to 8 inches below the surface of the soil.
Phlox has always been noted as a voracious feeder, requiring soil rich in organic matter and slightly acid. Light also is important, and, while the plants will tolerate a moderate amount of shade, best results are obtained from plantings fully exposed to the sun.
HORTICULTURAL VALUE
Phloxes may be used to form a border, as individual groups, in plantings with other perennials, or in beds for mass effect. It is possible also to cultivate phloxes in pots (Taylor, 1842; Downie, 1856; Smith, 1857; Dybowski, 1889), for use as specimen plants on the porch or for use in porch baskets; for such purposes, dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties should be selected. Phloxes are occasionally used as cut flowers, but, with the exception of the variety Miss Lingard, they are seldom cultivated for this purpose. The French used them as cut flowers for the Fete de Marie on August 15 (Mottet, 1895). Their chief value is to furnish an abundance of brilliant color in the garden during the latter part of the summer, when the majority of flowers have passed their season of bloom.
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL
In planting phloxes, care should be taken to thoroughly enrich the soil with decayed organic matter and to bring it to an exellent state of tilth.
The site selected for the planting should be in the open sunlight and at a sufficient distance (3 to 6 feet) from other perennials and from shrubbery to avoid shading the phlox or depleting the soil of its fertility. Planting can be done at almost any season of the year, but fall planting (September), before the new roots have developed, is the most logical. The plant is thus enabled to become well established in its new location before winter.
PLANTING
Individual clumps should be set not closer than 3 feet. This distance seems entirely out of proportion at the time of planting. Growth is rapid, and in two or three years the planting will be in excellent condition. A hole 5 inches deep is best for setting the new plants. The roots are spread
15
well apart, and the crown of the plant is covered by not more than 1 inch of soil. Firming the plants into position is important; this enables the roots to rapidly become established in the soil. After the plants have been set, they should be thoroughly watered and lightly mulched with strawy manure. This mulch may be left on during the winter.
CULTIVATION
In the spring, the straw mulch should be removed and the soil forked over lightly without disturbing the plants. The organic matter added from the decayed straw helps to maintain the soil fertility and thus to keep the planting in satisfactory condition for a long time.
[Figure 6. YOUNG SHOOTS PINCHED BACK IN ORDER TO FORCE THE PLANT TO FLOWER LATER IN THE SEASON. The results of such pinching-back are not always satisfactory and the practice is not recommended]
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When the plants are 18 inches in height they should be dusted with a preparation containing colloidal sulfur. The dusting should be done every ten days or two weeks throughout the season. The forceful syringing with a hose at similar intervals is important also. As the plants reach the flowering stage the bloom can be greatly improved if the soil is kept well watered. This is particularly important in dry seasons; but it should he done judiciously at all times, since excess moisture retards the growth of phloxes and encourages the rapid development of mildew.
After the plants have passed their major period of flowering, the panicles should be cut in order to prevent the production of seed. If such a precaution is not taken, seedlings develop rapidly and the continuity of the original planting is lost. After frost has destroyed the tops, the stems should be cut back to the ground, and, together with the fallen leaves, should be removed from the planting and burned. This will help to check the prevalence of diseases and insect pests, and to maintain the planting in a healthy, vigorous condition for a number of years.
The longevity of a planting depends not only upon the fertility of the soil and the exposure to the sun, but also upon the spacing of the groups in the planting. A planting should be at its best from two to four years after it has been set, and it may remain in good condition for as long as six years. If the plants lose their vigor and the flowers their brilliance of color, the clumps should be dug up and replanted in a fresh location which has been adequately prepared.
Renovation of a phlox planting may be done in the spring or in the fall. The clump should be lifted and the soil shaken out as much as possible. The clump can then be pulled apart, and each stem, with its roots, separated from the others ready for replanting. Some gardeners merely cut the clump into four or more sections with a spade; but the above method is preferable, in spite of the additional labor involved.
The planting and the care of the replanted phlox are the same as are described above for a new planting. Diseased plants should, of course, be destroyed, and even in healthy plants the tops should be cut back, leaving from 6 inches to 1 foot of stem, and the roots should be cut back to 6 or 8 inches in length.
For further discussion on the cultivation of phlox, the readeг is referred to Miller (1759), Cameron (1840), Downie (1855), Harrison (1906), Thayer (1919), Stager (1920?), and Pridham (1928).
PROPAGATION
Phloxes may be propagated by division of the clumps as described above, by root cutting, or by stem cuttings. Layering is occasionally practiced, but propagation by root cutting is the usual method.
According to Mallinson (1925), root cuttings are best made from one-year-old plants in November, though the clumps may be lifted in the fall and kept over winter in a frost-proof cellar or frame and the cuttings taken earh in the spring. Mallinson describes the process as follows:
The straight fleshy roots should be chosen and cut off full length , then the bunch of roots should be cut into about 2-in. lengths. Care should be taken to keep them all right end up. Be careful to avoid any chance of mixtures by using plenty of
17
labels and cleaning up one variely at a time. When work with each variety is finished, all small pieces of root should be carefully cleared off the bench.
The cut roots are then heeled in in the frame, upright in rows about 4 in. apart. A good strong label should be nailed on the frame to mark the first row of each variety, and it is advisable to leave a blank row between each two varieties, so that you can see the dividing line distinctly when you dig for planting in spring. The roots, which can be quite close together in the rows, should be covered by about half an inch of soil. This should be well firmed and then mulched with hay, leaves or light manure. After heavy frost has set in the frame can be covered up for the winter with an additional mulch or a good covering of meadow hay. It is not necessary to place the sash on the frame although, if they are at hand, they can be used.
The roots will commence to sprout about the middle of April and the covering should be removed at the first sign of growth as the young shoots are very tender and easily broken off. They need plenty of water after they have started to grow and should never be allowed to dry out. They should not be planted out until they have made from 4 in. to 6 in. of growth and plenty of roots; this will probably be about the first week in June, depending on weather conditions.
They can then be safely planted directly into the field where risk of loss is lessened if you have a strinkler system available. If possible it is always best to wait for a dull day on which to plant out.
Stem cuttings are generally used in propagating suffruticosa varieties. These may be taken in the spring, after the shoots have made a growth of about 3 inches; or the clumps may be lifted in the fall, stored for the winter in a frost-proof cellar, and forced into growth during early spring. In either case the cuttings should be trimmed, set in sand, and kept well watered till they have rooted. The young plants should be potted and allowed to grow for a month before they are set in the nursery row. They generally make good salable clumps the first season.
When new varieties of phlox are desired, they must be raised from seed. One of the easiest ways to isolate plants selected as parents is to grow them in an isolated location. Individual panicles can be protected from foreign pollination by inclosing them in silk envelopes as described by Lierval (1866).
According to Flory (1931), the haploid number of chromosomes in phlox is seven. This holds true both for the various species and for many of the garden varieties including Elizabeth Campbell, Rheinlander, Mrs. Jenkins, and R. P. Struthers. Crosses have been effected between the annual phlox, P. drummondii,1 and the hybrids of P. paniculata. Arends obtained his hybrids from a cross of P. divaricata with the P. paniculata hybrids. The variety Leopoldiana, originated by Rodigas, was recorded as a cross between the annual phlox and a perennial phlox—presumably Van Houttei, one of the suffruticosa group. P. Criterion Dubus-Miellez was a cross of P. drummondii with P. depressa, hardy in Europe but not in America. Wherry (1930), in describing the forms of many of the species, suggests that there are natural hybrids. The field offered to the phlox-breeder is thus a large one.
The only genetical information available is that concerning P. drummondii. Gilbert (1915) and Kelly have reported on the inheritance of color and floret form. Kelly (1922, 1927, 1929) has reported also on the inheritance of astylis, fasciation, and doubleness.
The seeds of P. paniculata are thrown from the ripe seed capsule as it bursts; hence careful watch must be kept of the capsules, or the panicle
___
1 Phlox drummondii, the annual phlox native to Texas, was first raised at the Batanical Gardens in Manchester, England, from seed send by Drummond in 1835. By 1850 its varieties were very popular in France.
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should be inclosed in a silk envelope as suggested by Lierval (1866). The seeds frequently fail to germinate unless they are planted immediately, so that it is necessary to prepare the seedbed in the summer before the seeds have ripened.
[Figure 7. A PHLOX CLUMP WITH THE SEED CAPSULES FORMING. The seed capsules are formed shortly after flowering of the plant and ripen quickly. At this stage the remains of the flower heads should be cut off or else inclosed in silk enveloped to save the seed]
A light sandy soil is the best for the cultivation of phlox seedlings. The soil should be well watered, and the seed should be set in shallow trenches and covered lightly with compost. In the spring the seedings are best transplanted to post as soon as the first leaves have developed. When the plant have reached a height of 6 or 7 inches they should be set in
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[Figure 8. A CLUMP CUT BACK AFTER FLOWERING TO PREVENT THE SEED FROM RIPENING AND PRODUSING NEW SEEDLING IN AN ESTABLISHED PLANTING. (This is the clump shown in figure 7)]
the held It is well to select a location where the soil is especially rich and where the seedling can be watered in case of dry weather. Many seedling will flower during the first summer. Those which flower after the first frost cannot be judged as to color for the frost and dry weather of autumn modify the color and markings of phlox.
In selecting seedlings, a definite standard should be set and all seedlings that fail to meet this standard should be discarded at once. At the present time there is a great need for pure white varieties of vigorous, disease-free, and ever-flowering habit. Good varieties of a pure pink color are few, and, with the present interest in rock gardens, varieties of the type of Tapis Blanc and Jules Sandeau should find a ready market.
DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS OF PHLOX
Mildew is the commonest disease of phlox, and red spider is the universal insect pest. Leaf-spot, leaf-blight, nematodes, and phlox plant-bug also are recorded as diseases and pests of phlox. Detailed descriptions of these troubles and recommendations for their control are given by Weigel and Middleton (1926), Cory and McConnell (1927), and White (1931).
While special methods of control are recommended in some cases, it is generally agreed that strict adherence to the principles of good cultivation is of primary importance. The tops of the plants should be
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[Figure 9. TAPIS BLANC, A DWARF VARIETY OF EXCEPTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE HABIT. The flower is pure white against deep green foliage. The variety blooms over a long period and hence is very desirable for the rock garden]
carefully cut off at the ground in the fall, and burned at once. Renovation of old plantings, adequate spacing of the plants, and syringing the foliage with a forceful spray of water once a week, are important also.
VARIETIES OF PHLOX
THE SUFFRUTICOSA GROUP
In view of the history of the suffruticosa hybrids, it seems rather inconsistent that the most popular of all phlox varieties should belong to this group. The variety Miss Lingard, originated by Lingard and introduced into commerce by Appleton (Anonymous, 1929), was first sold in this country about 1907 with very little publicity and has become the most popular of all phloxes. Miss Lingard is white, with a faint cream cast which is slightly deeper in the region of the tube or the eye area. The
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[Figure 10. JULES SANDEAU, A MODERN DWARF VARIETY OF A RICH PINK COLOR]
growth is rapid and vigorous, and the plant is free from disease. Flowering is early (June and July) and prolific. If the panicles are cut off immediately after flowering, a second bloom may occur in September. The first bloom is excellent for landscape effect, or the spikes may be cut and used as cut flowers. Miss Lingard is one of the few varieties generally used for this purpose. A pink variant of Miss Lingard has recently been introduced under the name Miss Verboom.
Dr. Hornby is an old but a very worth-while variety. The plants grow to a height of 18 to 24 inches, and produce an abundance of cylindrical spikes of pure white florets distinctively marked by a bright crimson eye. Unlike Miss Lingard, Dr. Hornby frequently sets seed, and it is more reliable in its habit of fall blooming.
Empress and Hercules are two other suffruticosa varieties occasionally found in the trade. They are both mallow purple in color, moderately tall
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[Figure 11. MISS LINGARD, THE BEST OUR FEW SUFFRUTICOSA VARIETIES]
in growth, and less prolific than either Miss Lingard or Dr. Hornby. Hercules is the better variety of the two; its florets are larger and are more pleasing in color.
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THE DECUSSATA GROUP
Of the standard varieties in the decussata group, the following are worthy of note.
B. Comte (introduced by Lemoine in 1900) is a deep rich purple phlox, of medium height and flowering rather late in the season. It has been in the trade since about 1904. The panicles are rather flat in form, and the florets are crowded together and frequently flecked.
Bridesmaid (introducer unknown), a tall, attractive variety, is one of the most satisfactory in vigor of growth and abundance of exceptionally large panicles. The florets are white, but the rose eye-color is lightly diffused over the petals so that in mass plantings the color appears to be a very delicate rose pink. Bridesmaid has been one of the outstanding varieties for the past twenty years.
L’Eclaireur (introduced by Forgeot et Cie. in 1890) (Carriere, 1891) is rhodamine purple in color, with white markings near the center. The florets are large and star-shaped. The variety is vigorous, medium in height, and late in flowering. It has been offered for sale in this country under the name Eclaireur since 1900.
Elizabeth Campbell (introduced by Pfitzer in 1909) is of comparatively recent origin and was imported from Europe about 1911. It is one of the most popular of the light salmon-pink varieties, but is of only moderate vigor.
Europa (introduced by Pfitzer in 1910) is a very fine white variety, with a deep, clear-cut, carmine eye. The plants are of medium height and vigor. The panicles are very attractive.
Frau Anton Buchner (introduced by Pfitzer in 1907) is large-flowered, pure white, of very pleasing form and color, and medium in height, it flowers about midseason. While the individual plants are vigorous, the clumps are usually small, as the variety grows slowly.
General Von Heutz (introduced by Ruys about 1911) is of similar color to Elisabeth Campbell but is more brilliant. The florets bear a distinct white marking adjacent to the eye.
Jules Sandeau (introduced by Lemoine in 1911), first sold in this country about 1927, is one of the finest of the pink varieties and is of sufficiently dwarf habit for use in the rock garden. The large individual florets are pure pink, with the reverse side of the petal a delicate pink. The florets are produced in profusion and over a long period. The plant is vigorous and forms clumps of moderate size.
La Vague, which was introduced from Europe about 1900, is still very popular and is dwarf enough in habit for planting in the rock garden. The daintily cup-shaped florets are delicate mallow-pink in color, with the reverse side of the petal lighter and the eye a deeper color. The midseason flowering is profuse. Growth is wigorous and the clamps are large. The variety is somethat more susceptible to the attacks of mildew and red spider than are the other varieties.
Mrs. E. H. Jenkins (introducer unknown) is the second most popular variety, and has been frequently confused with the varieties Frei Fraulein G. von Lassberg (Pfitzer), Fiancee (Lemoine), Independence, and others.
At the time of its introduction into the American trade (1906), Mrs. Jenkins was listed as tall in habit of growth; while Frei Fraulein
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[Figure 12. ELIZABETH CAMPBELL, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SALMON-PINK TO LIGHT SCARLET VARIETIES]
[Figure 13. EUROPA, ONE OF THE NEWER WHITE VARIETIES, WHITH A CLEAR-CUT CARMINE EYE. The plant is vigorous, but not rapid in growth]
25
G. von Lassberg,introduced in 1895. was listed as medium in height.Independence, a variety common in the trade as early as 1889, had apparently fallen into disfavor at the time when Mrs. Jenkins was introduced. Today Mrs. Jenkins and Independence are acknowledged synonyms, but Frei Fraulein G. von Lassberg is still sold under that name. The writer has been unable to find any real difference between these varieties. Mrs. Jenkins is pure white, is of medium height, and has typically star-shaped florets. The growth is vigorous, but the foliage turns to a light
[Figure 14. MRS. E.H. JENKINS, A PURE WHITE VARIETY. This is one of the most popular of all phloxes. The plant is of medium height and is vigorous. The flowers are distinctly star-shaped]
26
yellowish green about midseason. The variety fills the need for a vigorous-growing white variety for landscape purposes.
Rheinlander (introduced by Goos & Koenemann about 1914) is one of the best salmon-pink varieties. The color is intensified by the deeper color of the eye. The panicles are dense and globose in shape, and the individual florets are star-shaped. The stem and the calyx teeth are intensely colored. The variety grows to a medium height, flowers at midseason, and is of moderate vigor.
R.P. Struthers (introduced by Rea about 1900) is one of the best-known varieties of American origin. In color it is a rich rose to salmon-pink, with a deeper eye. Its florets are typically waved. The plants are vigorous, free-flowering, and tall, and blossom at midseason. This is one of the most attractive varieties.
Rijnstron (introduced by Pfitzer in 1910) is rose-salmon in color, and has typically curled florets and a rather loose panicle. The plants grow to a height of 30 to 36 inches and are moderately vigorous.
Thor (introduced by Goos & Koenemann) was first sold in this country in 1915. The color is a rich salmon-pink, with a deeper eye. The large florets form a dense, pyramid-shaped panicle. The plants are moderatcly vigorous, are of medium height, and flower a little after midseason.
Widar (introduced by Goos & Koenemann about 1912) is purple-violet in color, with a distinct white eye. The large florets form a dense panicle which tends to be oval in outline. The markings make the variety particularly interesting.
SELECTED VARIETIES
Of the many other varieties now in cultivation, the following have been selected because of their general superiority, their adaptability to some special use, or their particular interest to gardeners who specialize in plant novelties.
Albion (introduced by Dreer about 1900), one of the oldest of the American varieties now in the trade, is white, with a small but pleasing eye-marking of light lavender. The plants are tall and vigorous, and produce large pyramidal panicles at midseason.
Annie Cook (introduced by Thurlow in 1913) is an attractive light lilac-pink, with a deeper amaranth-pink eye. The florets are of moderate size, and from large, dense panicles which flower rather late in the season. The plants are vigorous, and are medium to tall in habit.
Anton Mercier (introduced by Lemoine in 1901) is of semi-dwarf habit of growth. Its interesting phlox-purple florets are distinctively marked by a white eye. The plant are vigorous growers and flower profusely.
Cameron (introduced by Forbes in 1900) was grown at Chiswick, England, in 1901, but was not listed by American nurserymen till 1908. Its large florets are of a delicate pink color which in mass appears to be pure light pink. The panicle is well filled, is spreading, and flowers early in the season. The growth is moderately vigorous and the clumps are rather small.
Crepuscule (introduced by Fontaine in 1853) is the oldest and best-known of all phlox varieties. It is often referred to as the mother of our modern phloxes, and has long been a favorite with phlox-growers. The
27
[Figure 15. RHEINLANDER, ONE OF THE BEST SALMON-PINK VARIETIES]
[Figure 16. WIDAR, A SEMI-DWARF VARIETY, FLOWERS PURPLE-VIOLET WITH A DISTINCT WHITE EYE]
28
[Figure 17. SALADIN, THE MOST BRILLIANT SCARLET OF THE PHLOXES. The plant is tall and vigorous, and blooms over a long period]
29
florets are moderatery large, and are of a peculiar dark lilac color which is shaded lighter toward the edges of the petals, producing a sivery gray effect. The plant is vigorous grower, flowers profusely, and produces large clumps medium in height. The variety is fairly free from disease and blossoms for a long period during the late summer and early fall.
Graf Zeppelin (introducer unknown, 1918), only recently found in American gardens, is creamy white with a delicate rose-pink eye. The large florets and panicle produce a very rich effect. The plant are tall and vigorous.
Le Mahdi (introduced by Jones, of England, in 1900) is one of the deepest of the purple varieties, and is fairly free from the objectionable magenta tint which is common to many varieties. The florets are small but are borne in profusion, producing a dense panicle which blossoms about midseason.
Mrs. Ethel Pritchard (introduced by Pritchard, of England, in 1923) is the largest-flowered of the phlox-purple varieties. The florets are of a single color and are exceptionally large and round. The plants are of medium height, are vigorous, and flower a little after midseason.
Mrs. W. G. Harding (introduced bу Schmeiske in 1923) is one of the best of the new phloxes of American origin. The florets are exceptionally large, and are deep rose-pink with a deeper eye. The panicles are not large, but they flower continuously throughout the season. The foliage is of a rich deep green color and of particularly heavy texture, and the stems are distinctly woody. The variety shows marked advance in habit of bloom and resistance to disease. The plants are of medium height and are vigorous. The clumps are large, though the number of stems produced is below the average.
Richard Wallace (introduced by Lierval in 1870) is one of the few varieties introduced by Lierval which are still in the trade. The florets are moderately large, are pure white in color, and have a deep, clear-cut, crimson eye. The panicles are large and attractive, and the plants are vigorous.
Reichgraf von Hochberg (introduced by Pfitzer prior to 1900) is one of the best of the deep red-purple varieties. The panicles are large and are profusely branched. The variety is vigorous but is not a rapid grower.
Saladin (introduced by Goos & Koenemann in 1924) is the deepest and most brilliant of the scarlet varieties. The florets are large and well formed, in large, dense, oval-shaped panicles. The plants are tall and vigorous, and the clumps are large. The color stands out boldly across the garden and does not fade in the sun.
Selma (introduced by Ruys in 1905) is of recent popularity in this country. It is a tall-growing variety. The large flowers are mallow-pink, with a deeper eye. The panicle is large and compact, and the plant is exceptionally vigorous.
Tapis Blanc (introduced by Lemoine in 1901, and later under the name Mia Ruys) is one of the best of all the phloxes, and one of the most dwarf. The color, a pure rich white, stands out conspicuously. The florets are large and the variety remains in bloom throughout the entire season. The foliage is deep green and very resistant to disease. Tapis Blanc is especially desirable for planting in rock gardens.
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——— Pot cultivation of the phlox. Florist:, fruitist, and garden miscellany, n. s. 6: 364.
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DYBOWSKI, J. Le phlox decusse. Rev. hort. 61:494-496. 1889.
FLORY, WALTER S. Chromosome numbers in phlox. Amer. nat. 65:473-476. 1931.
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1915.
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HOVEY, С. М. [Note.] Mag. hort. 10:353. 1844.
—— Some remarks on the cultivation of the phlox, with descriptions of twenty-four new and
beautiful varieties. Mag. hort. 12:97-103. 1846.
—— New phloxes. In Floricultural and botanical notices of new and beautiful plants figured in
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