Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Cover Girl Garden Phlox: Tall Lilac Heads with a White Halo
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Cover Girl garden phlox carries large, dome-shaped heads of lilac-purple flowers, each with a crisp white halo at the center, on tall, sturdy stems. It is known for strong rebloom and good resistance to powdery mildew, the problem that so often spoils garden phlox, and its dark green leaves stay clean into fall.
At 38 to 42 inches, it brings height to the middle and back of a border from midsummer on. It loves sun like lavender, but it wants richer soil and more regular water, so it belongs in the cottage border beside the lavender bed.
Cover Girl at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Phlox paniculata 'Cover Girl' |
| Flowers | Lilac purple with a white halo, in heads 6 to 10 inches long; fragrant |
| Foliage | Dark green, resists powdery mildew |
| Size | 38 to 42 inches tall, 24 to 28 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks late July, about seven weeks with rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun to part shade; full sun for the most flowers |
| Wildlife | Great for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds; deer like it |
The back row behind the lavender
Picture a sunny cottage garden with a lavender bed in front and a border behind it. Cover Girl stands in the back row, its tall lilac heads rising above everything. It opens in early July, as the main lavender bloom fades, so the purple keeps going all summer. The white halo in each flower brightens the color and reads well from a distance.
Keep the two plantings on separate watering. Phlox wants steady moisture and fertile soil; lavender wants lean, dry ground. A path, low edging or a few feet of space between the beds does the trick. Sketch the layout in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Soil: average to fertile, evenly moist and well-drained.
- Light and air: full sun and good airflow give the most flowers and healthiest leaves.
- Water: deeply in dry spells. Drought or reflected heat yellows the lower leaves.
- Deadheading: remove spent flower clusters to push strong rebloom into late summer.
- Pests: spider mites can bronze leaves in hot, dry weather.
- Dividing: every few years in spring to keep the clump vigorous.
- Winter: fully hardy in Michigan. Cut stems to the ground after hard frost or in early spring and clear the debris.
A cutting-garden favorite
Cover Girl is a good cut flower. Cut stems when about a third of the flowers in a head are open, and the rest will open in the vase. The sweet, spicy-clove fragrance is strongest on warm evenings, so a few stems indoors, or a clump by the patio, perfume the air. Butterflies and hummingbirds visit steadily.
Plug tray or bare root
Cover Girl is offered as a 72-cell plug tray and as a bare root plant. See each product page for current availability, or visit the Wholesale Hub.
Frequently asked questions
Will it get powdery mildew?
It was selected for strong mildew resistance. Good spacing and full sun help it stay clean.
How do I get it to rebloom?
Deadhead the spent flower heads. New side shoots follow with more flowers into late summer.
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