Phlox Candy Stripe Plugs – 2 Live Perennial Groundcover Plants, Pink White Blooms, 1-3″ Tall

Overview

Transform your garden into a tapestry of color with our beautiful Phlox Candy Stripe plugs. These delightful live phlox plants are an excellent choice for gardeners seeking a vibrant and low-maintenance perennial groundcover. Each order includes 2 starter plants, ready to establish and flourish in your outdoor spaces. Phlox subulata ‘Candy Stripe’, commonly known as Creeping Phlox, is celebrated for its dense, mat-forming habit and prolific spring blooms. The unique ‘Candy Stripe’ variety boasts charming pink and white striped flowers that create a breathtaking display, making it a standout addition to rock gardens, borders, and slopes. These young starter plants are well-rooted and eager to grow, promising a future of spectacular floral beauty.

Our live phlox plants are carefully cultivated to ensure a strong start, providing you with quality specimens that are poised for successful growth. While you will receive young starter plants without current blooms, they will quickly mature into robust groundcover, showcasing their stunning pink white phlox flowers. This particular phlox is known for its hardiness and ability to thrive in various conditions, making it a reliable choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. Embrace the charm and elegance that Phlox Candy Stripe plugs bring to any landscape, creating a carpet of color that returns year after year.

Key Benefits

Choosing Phlox Candy Stripe plugs for your garden offers a multitude of advantages, enhancing both the aesthetic appeal and ecological balance of your outdoor space. These perennial groundcover plants are not just beautiful; they are also incredibly functional, providing long-lasting enjoyment and benefit.

• Stunning Visual Appeal: The primary benefit of these live phlox plants is their captivating beauty. The ‘Candy Stripe’ variety produces a profusion of delicate pink and white striped flowers that form a dense, colorful mat, creating an unforgettable spring display. They are perfect for adding vibrant hues to any garden setting.
• Excellent Groundcover: Phlox subulata is an exceptional choice for groundcover, effectively suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. Its mat-forming habit quickly fills in empty spaces, providing a lush, green carpet even when not in bloom, and a spectacular floral show in spring.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, these Phlox Candy Stripe plugs are remarkably easy to care for. They are drought-tolerant and require minimal intervention, making them an ideal option for busy gardeners or those new to planting, ensuring beautiful results with less effort.
• Attracts Pollinators: The vibrant blooms of the pink white phlox are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, contributing to the health and biodiversity of your garden ecosystem. Enjoy watching your garden come alive with activity.
• Hardy and Resilient: These perennial groundcover plants are very hardy, thriving in USDA zones 3–9. They tolerate cold winters and moderate heat, ensuring their return year after year with minimal protection, providing enduring beauty.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Ideal for a variety of landscaping applications, including rock gardens, slopes, pathways, border edges, and cascading over retaining walls. Their compact growth habit and spreading nature make them suitable for diverse design schemes.
• Long Blooming Period: While primarily a spring bloomer, with proper care and deadheading, these Phlox can offer an extended period of color, allowing you to enjoy their charming flowers for weeks.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Phlox Candy Stripe plugs is straightforward, ensuring they grow into a magnificent display of perennial groundcover. These live phlox plants are quite resilient, but providing optimal conditions will encourage the most vigorous growth and abundant blooms. Understanding their specific needs for light, water, and soil will set them up for success in your garden. With consistent care, your pink white phlox will become a cherished part of your landscape.

For best results, plant your Phlox Candy Stripe plugs in a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. While they can tolerate partial shade in hotter climates, full sun encourages the most prolific flowering. Ensure the soil is well-drained, fertile, and rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0) is ideal. When planting, amend heavy clay soils with compost or sand to improve drainage. Proper drainage is crucial to prevent root rot, especially during establishment. These groundcover plants benefit from a good start in well-prepared soil.

Water your young plants consistently, keeping the soil moist, particularly during their establishment period. Once mature, these plants are relatively drought-tolerant, but it’s best to water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Avoid overwatering or allowing the plants to sit in waterlogged conditions. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 formula, to support healthy growth and flowering. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can lead to leggy growth at the expense of blooms. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering and maintain a tidy appearance. After the main flowering period, a light trim can help maintain their shape and promote new growth for the following season. These live phlox plants are hardy in USDA zones 3–9, tolerating cold winters and moderate summer heat effectively.

Size & Details

Each order includes 2 Phlox Candy Stripe plugs, which are live starter plants. These young plants, typically 1 to 3 inches tall, are well-rooted and ready for planting in your garden. While they will arrive without flowers, they are poised to grow and develop into mature perennial groundcover plants, eventually producing their characteristic pink white phlox blooms. The mature spread of these groundcover plants can reach up to 18-24 inches, forming a dense mat that effectively covers an area.

These starter plugs are designed for easy transplanting and rapid establishment. Expect them to begin vigorous growth shortly after planting, with flowers typically appearing in the spring of the following year, or late spring/early summer if planted early in the season. Their compact initial size makes them easy to handle and integrate into existing garden designs or new planting projects. The hardy nature of these live phlox plants ensures they will return each year, growing larger and more spectacular with proper care.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Phlox Candy Stripe plugs get? A: You will receive starter plants that are 1-3 inches tall. Once mature, these perennial groundcover plants typically spread 18-24 inches wide and reach a height of 4-6 inches, forming a dense, flowering mat.
• Q: Are these Phlox Candy Stripe plugs suitable for beginners? A: Yes, Phlox Candy Stripe plugs are an excellent choice for beginners. They are very forgiving, low-maintenance, and hardy, making them easy to grow and establish, providing beautiful results with minimal effort.
• Q: What condition will the live phlox plants arrive in? A: Your live phlox plants will arrive as well-rooted starter plugs, securely packaged in soil. They will be young plants, without flowers, ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: How much sunlight do these groundcover plants need? A: For optimal growth and flowering, these groundcover plants prefer full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In very hot climates, they can tolerate a bit of partial shade.
• Q: When is the best time to plant Phlox Candy Stripe plugs? A: The best time to plant Phlox Candy Stripe plugs is in spring or early fall. This allows them to establish their root system before the extreme heat of summer or the cold of winter.
• Q: Are these pink white phlox deer resistant? A: While no plant is entirely deer-proof, Phlox subulata is generally considered to be deer resistant. Deer tend to browse it less frequently than other plants, making it a good choice for areas with deer activity.
• Q: Will these live phlox plants survive winter in my area? A: Yes, these live phlox plants are hardy in USDA Zones 3-9. They are well-adapted to tolerate cold winters and will return reliably each spring, even after heavy frosts.
• Q: How often should I water my Phlox Candy Stripe plants? A: During establishment, keep the soil consistently moist. Once mature, water when the top inch of soil feels dry. They are somewhat drought-tolerant but appreciate regular watering during dry spells.
• Q: Can I grow these perennial groundcover plants in containers? A: While primarily used as groundcover, Phlox Candy Stripe plugs can be grown in containers, especially in hanging baskets or as ‘spillers’ in mixed arrangements, where their cascading habit can be appreciated. Ensure good drainage.
• Q: Do these Phlox Candy Stripe plugs attract pollinators? A: Absolutely! The vibrant blooms of the pink white phlox are very attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, making them a great addition to a pollinator-friendly garden.