Summary ⁶

Woodland phlox is a spreading native spring wildflower which forms mats of foliage with stems typically reaching 12-15" tall. As the common name suggests, this is a woodland variety which occurs in rich woods and fields and along streams. Loose clusters of fragrant, tubular, blue-violet flowers (to 1.5" wide) with five, flat, petal-like lobes appear at the stem tips in spring. Stems are both hairy and sticky. Lance-shaped to elliptic leaves (to 2" long). Can form large colonies over time as the leafy shoots spread along the ground rooting at the nodes. Phlox divaricata is common throughout eastern North America, but P. d. var. laphamii is the common form in our forest. Var. laphamii is primarily distinguished from the species by having darker blue flowers with unnotched petals.
(Source: Missouri Botanical Garden)

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cricketsblog/25288861263/
2. (c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cricketsblog/17238045392/
3. (c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cricketsblog/19593371249/
4. (c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cricketsblog/24447741333/
5. (c) Lisa Brown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/meanandpinchy/441400497/
6. (c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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