Intensia® Red Hot Annual Phlox

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

10-16 Inches

Mature Spread

10-16 Inches

Nectar-loving butterflies and bees will thank you for adding this phlox to your garden. The large, bright-red, trumpet-shaped flowers bloom virtually all summer. The plant grows 10-12 inches high with a mounded habit. The gorgeous flowers are scented. Intensia® Red Hot loves the heat because this vigorous series of phlox was bred for heat and humidity tolerance. Also, it is tolerant of drought conditions.

Gardeners sometimes avoid phlox because the plant is susceptible to powdery mildew, but Intensia® Red Hot is mildew resistant, therefore a good choice. Phlox drummondii was discovered by Thomas Drummond in the early 1800’s in Texas. The popularity of this American native quickly spread to England and beyond. It is perfect for cottage gardens, for low water gardens, or xeriscapes. Use it in the landscape for edging, mass planting, and mixed borders. It works well in combination planters or try it in hanging baskets.

Intensia® Red Hot Annual Phlox Care

This easy-care plant would appreciate a spring application of fertilizer or compost on flower beds; fertilize pots more often. Do not apply an undue amount of fertilizer, however, and avoid high nitrogen that will lead to excessive leaf growth and delay flowering. Choose a fertilizer with a higher ratio of potassium for all your flowering plants.

Annual phloxes are self-cleaning, but you can deadhead if you don’t want them to self-seed. Some gardeners allow this, so they don’t need to plant them next year. Avoid over-watering. Plant them in loose, well-drained soil and mulch to conserve water. They adapt to a variety of soil conditions that drain well. Locate them in full sun, though they are tolerant of some afternoon shade. Choose a container with sufficient drainage to prevent root-rot, or poor crown growth.

Intensia® Red Hot Annual Phlox Spacing

In a 12-inch container you can space one phlox with two or three other plants. For example, combine one Intensia® Red Hot with one Chocolate Drop Solenostemon and two Lemon Coral® sedum. In the ground, space them 10-12 inches apart, from center plant to center plant.

Note that annual phloxes are not toxic, unlike perennial ones. Rabbit browsing can be a problem, however.

SKU:

PHLRHP