Moss Phlox
Phlox subulata 'Emerald Pink'
A dense blanket of rose-pink bloom for three to four weeks each spring, then a tidy evergreen mat that suppresses weeds through drought.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
A full-coverage spring bloom so dense the foliage disappears under pink. and then a clean, weed-suppressing evergreen mat for nine months.
Moss phlox is one of spring's great spectacles. In April and May, 'Emerald Pink' produces such a dense blanket of rose-pink flowers that the needlelike evergreen foliage completely disappears. From a distance, it looks like someone spilled a bucket of pink across the ground. The display lasts three to four weeks and leaves behind a dense, weed-suppressing mat of fine evergreen texture for the rest of the season. Low and spreading, moss phlox works anywhere you need full-sun groundcover: rock gardens, dry walls, slopes, path edges, and containers. The foliage stays clean and deep green even in drought conditions. It is one of the most reliably floriferous native groundcovers available for spring color.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown moss phlox propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant moss phlox instead of Periwinkle (Vinca minor) in dry sunny areas. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 4–6 in · 18–24 in wide
- Bloom time
- April–May
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Polemoniaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from New York and Connecticut south to Virginia, west to Michigan; cultivar of native species
Care notes for moss phlox.
Full sun in dry to average, well-drained soil. excellent drainage is key. Shear back by one-third after bloom to maintain compact form and prevent woodiness. Virtually no supplemental water needed once established. Divide every three to four years if the center starts to die out.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside moss phlox.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.