Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. The thrift of the mountains that covers steep banks with a carpet of flowers in spring is actually a native, evergreen plant, phlox subulata. It’s adapted to covering slopes or falling over rock walls. The leaves are evergreen and needle-like. Although the original flowers were purple, this phlox now comes in a crayon box of colors. The plants will seed and expand by that process and one website suggests occasionally walking on your phlox after flowering to help the seeds make contact with the soil. Others suggest that for a thicker carpet of leaf material, cut back the plants by half the blooms have faded. Perhaps you could set the mower on high or use a trimmer to make it easier. This phlox has the added charm of being deer resistant – remember resistance doesn’t mean full-proof immunity. Once established, this plant can live for years and years with little care.
Beautiful and Deer Resistant Phlox Subulata
