Phlox Candy Stripe Live Plant – Groundcover Perennial with Pink White Blooms – 1 Plug

Overview

Introduce a splash of vibrant color and texture to your garden with the exquisite Phlox Candy Stripe live plant. This stunning perennial, scientifically known as Phlox subulata, is celebrated for its dense, mat-forming growth habit and prolific blooms, making it an ideal choice for groundcover. Each plant you receive is a healthy, well-rooted plug starter, ready to establish quickly in your garden. While young, these plants are robust and eager to grow, promising a spectacular display of flowers in seasons to come. The ‘Candy Stripe’ variety is particularly cherished for its unique bicolor flowers, featuring delicate pink petals edged with crisp white, creating a captivating visual effect that enhances any outdoor space.

The Phlox Candy Stripe live plant is a versatile and resilient addition to various garden designs, from rockeries and slopes to border fronts and pathways. Its low-growing nature helps suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion, providing both beauty and practical benefits. Often referred to as creeping phlox or moss phlox, this variety is a true garden workhorse, offering long-lasting appeal with minimal intervention. Prepare to enjoy a carpet of charming blossoms that will transform your garden into a picturesque haven.

Key Benefits

The Phlox Candy Stripe live plant offers a multitude of benefits that make it a highly desirable choice for gardeners seeking both beauty and ease of maintenance. Its unique characteristics contribute significantly to a vibrant and thriving outdoor environment.

• Stunning Bicolor Blooms: Enjoy a breathtaking display of unique pink and white striped flowers that create a striking visual impact in spring. The intricate patterns of the pink white Phlox add an artistic touch to your garden landscape.
• Excellent Groundcover: This Phlox Subulata perennial forms a dense, spreading mat, effectively suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. It’s perfect for filling in gaps and creating a lush, continuous carpet of foliage and flowers.
• Low Maintenance & Hardy: Once established, the Phlox Candy Stripe live plant is remarkably drought-tolerant and requires minimal care. It thrives in a wide range of conditions and is hardy in USDA zones 3-9, making it suitable for many climates.
• Attracts Pollinators: The vibrant blooms are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, contributing to the biodiversity and health of your garden ecosystem.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Ideal for rock gardens, slopes, borders, mass plantings, and even containers, this groundcover Phlox adapts well to various garden settings, adding beauty wherever it’s placed.
• Early Spring Color: Be among the first to welcome spring with an explosion of color. The Phlox Candy Stripe typically blooms from early to late spring, providing a much-needed burst of cheer after winter.
• Deer Resistant: While no plant is entirely deer-proof, Phlox subulata is generally considered deer-resistant, making it a good choice for areas where deer can be a problem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Phlox Candy Stripe live plant is straightforward, ensuring a spectacular display of blooms with minimal effort. This resilient Phlox Subulata perennial thrives when its basic needs for light, water, and soil are met. For optimal growth and an abundance of pink white Phlox flowers, plant your starter in a location that receives ample sunlight. Full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, is preferred, as it promotes the most vigorous flowering. In hotter climates, a touch of afternoon shade can be beneficial to protect the foliage from intense heat. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal issues.

When it comes to watering, consistent moisture is key, especially during the establishment phase. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Once mature, this groundcover Phlox becomes more drought-tolerant, requiring water only when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Well-drained soil is crucial; sandy or loamy soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0) are ideal. Incorporating organic matter into the planting site will enhance drainage and fertility. Feed your Phlox in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) to support robust growth and flowering. Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen, as this can lead to excessive foliage at the expense of blooms.

Pruning is simple and helps maintain the plant’s shape and encourages reblooming. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering throughout its season. After the main flush of flowers has faded, a light trim can help maintain a neat appearance and promote new growth. This plant is hardy in USDA zones 3–9, tolerating cold winters and moderate summer heat. Protecting it from extreme winter winds in colder zones can be beneficial. Overall, providing these basic care requirements will ensure your Phlox Candy Stripe live plant remains a vibrant and beautiful feature in your garden for years to come, making Phlox plant care a rewarding experience.

Size & Details

You will receive one healthy Phlox Candy Stripe live plant plug, well-rooted and ready for planting. Each plug is a young starter plant, typically measuring 1-3 inches tall, with a robust root system developed in soil. While the images may show mature plants with flowers, your starter plant will not have blooms upon arrival, as it is in its early growth stage. This allows it to focus energy on root development once planted in your garden. This Phlox Subulata perennial is a fast-growing groundcover, quickly spreading to form a dense mat, typically reaching a mature height of 4-6 inches and spreading up to 18-24 inches wide. Expect vibrant blooms to appear in its first full growing season after planting, usually in early to late spring.

The growth rate of this groundcover Phlox is considered moderate to fast, allowing it to establish itself and begin spreading within a few months of planting. It is ideal for covering bare spots, creating beautiful borders, or enhancing rock gardens. The plant ships in a small, secure plug form to ensure its health and vitality during transit, minimizing transplant shock. With proper care and planting, your Phlox Candy Stripe will soon flourish, showcasing its distinctive pink white Phlox flowers and lush foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Phlox Candy Stripe live plant typically grows to a height of 4-6 inches and can spread up to 18-24 inches wide, forming a dense groundcover mat.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: You will receive one healthy plug starter plant, which is a small, well-rooted plant ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger pot. The plug itself is typically 1-3 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This Phlox Subulata perennial is primarily an outdoor plant, ideal for garden beds, rockeries, and borders. It thrives in full sun and is hardy in USDA zones 3-9.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For the best blooms and strongest growth, the Phlox Candy Stripe live plant prefers full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. It can tolerate partial shade in very hot climates.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, this groundcover Phlox is considered very easy to care for once established. It’s drought-tolerant and requires minimal maintenance, making it suitable for beginner gardeners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plant will arrive as a healthy, well-rooted plug starter. It will be a young plant and will not have flowers upon arrival, as it is focusing its energy on root development.
• Q: Is it shipped in soil? A: Yes, the Phlox Candy Stripe live plant plug is shipped well-rooted in its soil medium to ensure its health and minimize transplant shock.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: With proper care, your Phlox Candy Stripe starter plant should begin to produce its characteristic pink white Phlox blooms in its first full growing season after planting, typically in early to late spring.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant your Phlox Candy Stripe is in spring or early fall, allowing the plant sufficient time to establish its root system before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This Phlox is hardy in USDA zones 3-9, meaning it can tolerate cold winters within this range. In colder zones, a layer of mulch can provide additional protection.