Upright perennial herb to about 1 m tall. Leaves to about 10 cm long, 4 cm wide, ovate to elliptic, the tip long-pointed, prominently veined, margins slightly bristlyhairy and rough when rubbed backwards. Flower clusters terminal, compound, more or less flat-topped and generally dense. Flowers with sepals prominent, petals mostly white, pink, blue or violet but cultivars in many colours; summer to autumn. Stamens enclosed.
E North America
Available as a range of cultivars in various colours, including 'Anton Buchner', 'Border Gem', 'Brigadier', 'Daily Sketch', 'Delight', 'Douglas', 'Eva Forester', 'George Adrian', 'Gloria', 'H.B. May', 'Hess Dries', 'Kirmeslandler', 'Leo Schlageter', 'Mia Ruys', 'Morgen Rood', 'Mrs H. Jones', 'Mrs Satin Veil', 'Nenkeldom', 'Prince George', 'Rembrandt' and 'Rheinländer'.
The following are occasionally available:
P. adsurgens A. Gray, mostly as 'Wagon Wheel', which has woody stems, oval leaves and pink flowers with narrow lobes;
P. maculata L.,Wild Sweet William or Meadow Phlox, from USA, a purple-spotted, stemmed perennial species over 1 m tall available as the cultivars 'Alpha', which has fragrant lilac to pink flowers, and 'Omega', which has flowers that are white with a lilac centre;
P. nivalis Sweet, Trailing Phlox, forming low cushions and flowering in spring - 'Camla' has salmon pink flowers and 'Dixie Brilliant' is also listed;
P. stolonifera Sims., Creeping Phlox, sometimes grown as 'Ariane', a cultivar to 20 cm tall with pale leaves, flowers in large open heads, white with yellow eyes.
Source: (2002). Polemoniaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.