Luminary Ultraviolet Phlox

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

32-36 Inches

Mature Spread

28-32 Inches

Growing Zones

3 to 8

An improved version of the ever popular ‘Nicky’ garden phlox, this hybrid is going to bring you increased disease resistance and even more flowers. Glowing ultra rich violet colored blooms perch on top of bright green foliage, making this lovely perennial a great addition to your pollinator garden as the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds won’t be able to stay away from them. Want to see what they are after when they visit these beautiful flowers? Pop an individual fully opened flower off of the cluster and put the end that is attached to the calyx in your mouth to enjoy the sweet pop of nectar that resides in each bloom. Be sure to leave some to enjoy visually and some for the pollinators, too!

Garden Phlox are native to North America from New York to Iowa, then south to Georgia and to Arkansas, and have naturalized from gardens into most parts of the United States. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8, it grows in all but the hottest and driest regions of the United States. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate some light shade, especially in the hotter sun regions of Zone 8. There are many cultivars available of tall garden phlox, with the most famous being ‘David’, the white P. paniculata cultivar. Garden phlox look wonderful when interplanted with multiple colored cultivars of the same species as well as with other sun loving perennials that flower in the summer.

Luminary Ultraviolet Phlox Care

Garden phlox are easy to care for with just a few considerations on your part. A full sun location with some light afternoon shade appreciated in the hottest areas, well draining average to fertile garden soil and frequent fertilizer applications to support the prolific blooming season is all it will need from you to give you the best performance for your summer sun garden. You will need just an average watering schedule when rainfall is inadequate. Be sure to water early in the morning to give plants time to dry off before nightfall to help in disease prevention. Garden phlox as a whole are typically susceptible to powdery mildew, and Luminary Ultraviolet is especially bred to resist this plant disease, but you can help with proper location, spacing and a careful watering regimen. Phlox prefers a slightly acidic garden soil with a pH range of about 5.8 to 6.5. Mulch plants to help control weeds and retain soil moisture. Spreading an all purpose granular fertilizer or mulching with a well composted organic material will give the plants the nutrients they need to maintain a good bloom production. Apply several times a year during the growing season.

Deadhead phlox by lightly shearing the spent flowers. This will result in a rebloom a little later in the season. Pruning is generally not needed, but should any powdery mildew appear, remove the affected stalk and destroy it. Take additional care to water only the ground and not the foliage if powdery mildew becomes a problem. Garden phlox make excellent cut flowers and last well in arrangements. Mulch root zone in late fall to help prevent any frost heaving in winter.

Luminary Ultraviolet Phlox Spacing

Spacing garden phlox is important for disease reduction. Growing to about 36 inches tall and spreading out 32 inches wide, space your plants about 28 to 32 inches apart. It also helps to plant in an area that receives a light breeze from time to time. You will enjoy these lovely full sun summer perennials in your garden this year whether planted as a focal point in your perennial garden, or in a massive drift of color as a landscape border.