Phlox divaricata L.
Wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William
Wild blue phlox is native to eastern North America. It is found in forests and fields. Several cultivars have been created. These plants can form large colonies, and are sometimes used as ground cover. They spread by seed, and they are also stoloniferous, forming plant colonies.
Plants: 10–20″ (25–50 cm) in size, with hairy, sticky, decumbent stems.
Leaves: Opposite, hairy, up to 2½ ⨉ ¾″ (6.3 ⨉ 1.9 cm), ovate-lanceolate. Leaves attach directly to, or even slightly clasp, stems.
Flowers: Flowers, occurring in clusters, are slightly fragrant, ¾–1″ (2–3 cm) in diameter, comprised of five petals fused at the base into a thin tube. They may be lavender, light purple, blue, pink, or white, appearing Apr-May. If the petals are notched at the tips, you’re looking at Phlox divaricata ssp. divaricata; if not, it is P. divaricata ssp. laphamii.
Fruits: Ovoid seed capsules about ⅛″ (4 mm) long contain several small seeds.
Habitats: In forests and fields.
Online References:
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 44
5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts 
The central white flowers are white trillium. · 5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Massachusetts 
5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 23 cm) 
5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts 
See the crab spider? · 3/18/2000 · Memphis, Tennessee · By Tim Chandler 
5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 8″ (19 × 19 cm) 
5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 42 cm) 
5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts 
5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm) 
5/16/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Action, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 28 cm) 
5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 13 × 10″ (33 × 26 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Ericales | Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others |
| Family | Polemoniaceae | Phlox, Jabob’s-ladder |
| Genus | Phlox | Greek φλόξ, means “flame” |
| Species | divaricata | “Spreading out, growing in a straggly manner” |
Phlox divaricata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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