Phlox 'PEPPERMINT TWIST'® perennial phlox
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Phlox
The genus Phlox belongs to the family Polemoniaceae and includes roughly 65 to 68 species, almost all of them native to North America. Only a single species reaches into north‑eastern Asia, so this is a group that evolved mainly in the American landscape – from tundra and open woodland to wide prairies. The name comes from the Greek phlox, meaning “flame”, a reference to the vivid colours that impressed early botanists. The genus appeared in botanical literature as early as the 17th century, but it was Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) who formally established it in 1753. Earlier authors used different names, such as Plukenet’s Lychnidea from 1696, which shows how unclear the family boundaries were at the time. Because the species grow in such varied habitats, gardeners later gained access to a broad range of plants suited to very different conditions.
Phlox subulata, known as moss phlox or creeping phlox, is native to the eastern United States, growing on rocky slopes, sandy soils and open ground from New York down to North Carolina. Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) described the species in 1753. It reached Europe in the late 18th century and quickly became popular for its toughness, its ability to thrive in poor soils and the dense evergreen mats that turn into a solid sheet of colour in early spring. By the late 19th and early 20th century, it had become a key parent in breeding low, spring‑flowering phloxes. It was most often crossed with species such as Phlox douglasii or Phlox bifida, which contributed finer foliage, different height or a longer flowering period. These hybrids are used much like the original species – on rock gardens, dry walls and border edges – but modern breeding has made them more colour‑stable, more compact and generally more reliable in everyday garden conditions.
Peppermint Twist® is a perennial phlox found in the Netherlands in 2001 as a naturally occurring mutation of another pink-flowering phlox named Candy Floss. Its flowers were distinctly different – each petal had pink colour only in the middle surrounded by fat white stripes along the margins. That is why the flower looks like a fairground attraction. And since vegetative reproduction proved this variation to be stable the plant was patented under PP18,196 in 2006, and is now available in nurseries around the world as Peppermint Twist®.
The panicle-like flower heads are 10-12 cm wide, consist of 2cm wide, pink and white striped, scented flowers that open in mid June and continue flowering for 2-3 months if deadheaded. They are born on 35-40 cm tall stems and form a compact bush. Leaves are mid green, lanceolate, resistant to powdery mildew.
Last update 11-01-2012
Moss phlox needs full sun and well‑drained, rather lean soil. Once established, it copes well with long dry spells, handles hot, scorching summers without trouble and does not require regular feeding. It is not fussy about soil pH. It spreads sideways as a low groundcover, so it is practical to cover the surrounding soil with a weed‑control fabric to stop grasses and weeds from growing up through the flowering cushions. After flowering, it is helpful to give the plants a light trim – with hand shears or even a “lawn‑mower style” pass – which keeps them compact and prevents the centre of the clump from opening up. They are extremely hardy, down to about −45 °C (USDA zone 2), and grow well in troughs and outdoor containers.
