# flowery phlox (*Phlox multiflora*) Flowery phlox is a bright and cheerful flower that blooms in many colors! It loves to grow in sunny places and can make gardens look beautiful and colorful. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![flowery phlox](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phlox_multiflora.jpg&width=800) Photo: mmmavocado, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phlox_multiflora.jpg) ## Appearance The flowery phlox has clusters of small, star-shaped blossoms, often appearing in shades of white, pink, or pale lavender. Its vibrant flowers grow densely on short stems, creating a charming, colorful carpet across the ground. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Polemoniaceae - **Genus:** Phlox ## Interesting facts - Each tiny phlox flower has five petals, perfectly arranged like a little star! - Flowery phlox often carries a sweet, delicate fragrance that helps guide buzzing insects to its nectar! - Some phlox species can even grow on rocky cliffs, holding onto tiny soil pockets! - The name 'Phlox' comes from the Greek word for 'flame,' because of its bright, fiery colors! ## Special abilities - **Pollinator Beacon:** Flowery phlox clusters its many small flowers together, making a bigger target that helps attract bees and butterflies from far away. - **Sturdy Spreader:** Flowery phlox grows outward with rhizomes, helping it form dense mats that can prevent weeds and protect the soil from drying out. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 20-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** two-spotted bumblebee (*Bombus bimaculatus*) — visits flowers for food - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar from blossoms ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking flowers, and be gentle with plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify flowery phlox? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is flowery phlox? 10-30 cm ### How wide does flowery phlox spread? 20-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on flowery phlox? 1-2 cm ### When does flowery phlox bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is flowery phlox edible? No ### Is flowery phlox toxic? None ### What is flowery phlox's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Fort Yellowstone](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-yellowstone) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [Gold Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gold-hill) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood - [John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-d-rockefeller-jr-memorial-parkway) — Wyoming, US · Park - [Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grizzly-and-wolf-discovery-center) — Montana, US · Zoo [View all places to see flowery phlox](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/flowery-phlox) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Flowery Phlox: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/flowery-phlox)