groundcover
Creeping phlox
Phlox subulata
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Creeping phlox is an evergreen groundcover hardy in zones 3–9. Expect 3–6 in of height and 1.5–2 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.25 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with average water. Expect pink and purple flowers in April to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. It is native to the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast and the Midwest. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Phlox subulata
- Plant type
- Groundcover, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; good on slopes and over walls.
- Mature size
- 3–6 in tall × 1.5–2 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.25 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Apr–May · pink and purple
- Roles in a bed
- Edge
- Styles
- cottage, classic, natural
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists moss phlox (Phlox subulata) as non-toxic to cats; the dog listing was not confirmed.
- Native to
- Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest
- Pot size and price
- quart pot, typically $6–$10 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Shear back by a third after spring bloom.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 4 (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5 (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 6
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 4 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 6 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 7 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- Cottage garden plants for a sunny bed in zone 5 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Creeping phlox, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Foxglove beardtongue 'Husker Red'Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'perennial · zones 3–8
- Switchgrass 'Shenandoah'Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'ornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Bee balmMonarda didymaperennial · zones 4–9
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire'Cornus sericea 'Farrow'shrub · zones 3–7
- Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger'Dasiphora fruticosa 'Goldfinger'shrub · zones 2–7
- New England aster 'Purple Dome'Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'perennial · zones 4–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Creeping phlox: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Pennsylvania sedgeCarex pensylvanicazones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'zones 3–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Barren strawberryWaldsteinia fragarioideszones 4–7 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Texas sedgeCarex texensiszones 7–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants