Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Fashionably Early Crystal Phlox: Crisp White Weeks Ahead of Schedule
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Fashionably Early Crystal phlox is a tall hybrid phlox with pure white flowers, each with a faint pale purple eye. It opens two to three weeks ahead of ordinary garden phlox, flowers from June through much of July and often adds a few blooms in fall. Flowers may open with a hint of blush before settling to crisp white.
Its broad, thick, glossy dark green leaves resist powdery mildew and look good all season. At 28 to 32 inches, it suits the center or back of a sunny border, and it creeps outward slowly by underground stems.
Crystal at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Phlox Fashionably Early 'Crystal' |
| Flowers | Pure white with a faint pale purple eye, fragrant |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks early July, light repeat into fall |
| Size | 28 to 32 inches tall, 26 to 30 inches wide |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun for the best flowers; tolerates part shade |
| Foliage | Thick, glossy dark green, powdery mildew resistant |
| Deer | Susceptible |
White phlox with lavender
White is the easiest partner for purple. Crystal's clean white heads make lavender look deeper and richer by contrast, and because Crystal blooms in mid-June, the two can overlap during the main lavender season instead of taking turns. As lavender winds down after harvest, Crystal keeps flowering into July.
White flowers also glow at dusk, so a white-and-lavender planting near a patio or porch is lovely on summer evenings, when Crystal's sweet, spicy clove scent is strongest. Like all tall phlox, it wants richer soil and more water than lavender, so give it its own border next to the lavender bed. Sketch the layout in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Soil: average to fertile and well-drained, with regular water.
- Heat: it handles Michigan summers well with steady moisture. In drought, lower leaves yellow and drop.
- Shearing: cut spent flower heads after the first flush to encourage more blooms.
- Spacing: leave room for air to move; it slowly widens by underground stems.
- Pests: spider mites can bronze leaves in hot, dry weather.
- Winter: fully hardy. Cut stems to the ground after a hard frost or in early spring and remove the debris.
Cut flowers and pollinators
Crystal makes a good cut flower with sturdy stems. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit the fragrant heads, so it pulls double duty in a pollinator border near lavender.
Plug tray or bare root
Crystal is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, ideal for growers and long borders, and as a bare root plant for home gardens. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
How early does it bloom?
It starts in mid-June, about two to three weeks before standard garden phlox.
Does it spread?
Slowly, by underground stems. It widens into a fuller clump over the years without running wild.
Is it the same as garden phlox?
It is a hybrid phlox in the Fashionably Early series, which blooms earlier and has thicker, glossier leaves than typical garden phlox.
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