Luminary® Opalescence has light pink flowers with dark pink eyes over some of the darkest green leaves found on a garden phlox. It stood out as the best performer for powdery mildew resistance in extensive trials.
At 30 to 32 inches, it is right for the middle of the border and needs little fuss. Flowers begin in midsummer and repeat, and the fragrant blooms are popular with butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.
What it looks like
Dome-shaped panicles are made of flat, five-petaled flowers about 1 inch across in light pink, each with a dark pink eye. The panicles top sturdy, upright stems. Leaves are lance-shaped and very dark green, arranged in pairs up the stems. The plant forms an upright clump about 30 to 32 inches tall and 24 to 28 inches wide. At peak bloom soft pink heads stand out against the deep green foliage.
Growing it with lavender
Phlox enjoys sun like lavender but wants richer soil and more regular water, so plant it in an adjacent cottage border, where its soft pink flowers pick up as the first lavender bloom winds down.
Care
Grow in full sun to part shade in average to fertile soil kept evenly moist; full sun and good air flow give the most flowers and the healthiest leaves. Hardy in zones 3-8. Deadhead spent flower clusters to encourage rebloom, and divide every few years in spring to keep the clump vigorous.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Phlox paniculata
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Flower color: Light pink with dark pink eyes
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Foliage: Very dark green
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Growth habit: Upright clump
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Mature size: 30–32 in tall × 24–28 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Early-July
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Peak bloom: Late-July
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Bloom pattern: Repeat Blooming
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Deer resistance: Susceptible
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.