Luminary® Ultraviolet produces very dark magenta-violet flower panicles above a full, bushy plant. Dark stems and buds and bronze-tinged leaves add to the rich look.
It flowers heavily from midsummer, reblooms and has better powdery mildew resistance than older dark purple phlox. At 32 to 36 inches, it anchors the middle of the border, cuts well and draws butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
What it looks like
Dome-shaped panicles are made of flat, five-petaled flowers about 1 inch across in very dark magenta violet, opening from dark buds. The panicles top dark, sturdy, upright stems. Leaves are lance-shaped, bright green with a bronze flush, arranged in pairs along the stems. The plant forms a full, bushy, upright clump about 32 to 36 inches tall and 28 to 32 inches wide. At peak bloom deep violet heads cover the top of the plant.
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 deep violet 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: Very dark magenta violet
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Foliage: Bright green with a bronze flush
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Growth habit: Full, bushy upright clump
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Mature size: 32–36 in tall × 28–32 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.