Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Uptown Girl Garden Phlox: Pink Starbursts as Lavender Winds Down
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Uptown Girl garden phlox carries big, dome-shaped heads of light pink flowers, each marked with a star-shaped dark pink eye. On a warm evening the clusters give off the sweet, spicy-clove fragrance garden phlox is loved for, and butterflies, bees and hummingbirds keep the whole clump busy.
It is a cottage garden plant through and through, and it makes a fine next-door neighbor for lavender.
Uptown Girl at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Phlox paniculata 'Uptown Girl' |
| Flowers | Light pink with a star-shaped dark pink eye, in 6- to 10-inch heads |
| Foliage | Dark green, held into fall |
| Size | 32 to 36 inches tall, 28 to 32 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks late July, reblooms after deadheading |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun to part shade |
| Fragrance | Sweet and spicy-clove, strongest on warm evenings |
Next door, not in the same bed
Phlox and lavender agree about sun but not about dinner. Phlox wants richer soil and regular water to keep its leaves clean and its flowers coming, while lavender does best lean and on the dry side. The answer is a two-bed layout: lavender along the sunniest, best-drained strip, and a cottage border right beside it where Uptown Girl gets compost and a weekly soak.
Seen together, the two read as one planting. Soft pink phlox heads behind purple lavender spikes is a gentle, old-fashioned combination, and the timing works out well: phlox opens in early July and peaks in late July, carrying the show after the lavender harvest. At 3 feet tall it belongs in the middle or back of the border. Sketch it in the Companion Plant Planner.
Clean leaves in a muggy summer
Powdery mildew is the classic complaint about tall phlox, and humid Great Lakes summers are when it shows up. Uptown Girl was selected for strong mildew resistance and tends to keep its dark green leaves into fall. You can help it further:
- Give each clump room for air to move; do not crowd it.
- Water at the base, deeply, during dry spells. Drought stress yellows the lower leaves.
- Clear stems and debris after frost to reduce disease carryover.
- Watch for spider mites, which can bronze leaves in hot, dry weather.
Deadheading, cutting and dividing
Snip spent flower clusters to encourage the next round. You will get about six weeks of bloom with rebloom on top. Uptown Girl also supplies plenty of stems for the vase; cut when about a third of the flowers in a head have opened. Every few years, divide the clump in spring to keep it vigorous.
Formats offered
It is offered as a full 72-cell plug tray for growers and large borders, and as a bare root plant for gardeners setting a few clumps directly. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Does Uptown Girl smell good?
Yes. It has the sweet, spicy-clove fragrance typical of garden phlox, most noticeable on warm evenings.
Do I need to protect it in winter?
No. It is fully hardy in Michigan. Cut stems to the ground after a hard frost or in early spring.
Will deer eat it?
Deer do browse garden phlox, so protect it where deer are common.
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