A Phantastic Phlox

This cultivar of Phlox paniculata 'Jeana' was in a goodie bag I received at a gardeners' event many years ago. My first experience with phlox was a garden phlox, 'Miss Lingard'. She died from a severe powdery mildew attack which almost wiped out my woodland phlox too. I was not looking forward to another powdery mildew magnet.

But here it is, many years later and a transplant last year, and Jeana is loving life. No powdery mildew in sight. While looking up the correct spelling of Jeana, I read that it is very resistant to powdery mildew. I also read that its very small flowers are irresistable to butterflies, and I can attest to that.

I had forgotten that I moved Jeana last year. After my sewer line replacement bed was replanted, I did not label the plants or locations that were moved there, thinking I could remember. This past spring, I noticed a few weed leaves comming up, and though they were odd since they formed quite a nice neat clump, and there were no other weeds in the heavily-mulched bed. Not recognizing the leaves, I let them grow a bit to later realize they were my phlox. It was Jeana that I moved during the previous year from an increasingly shady spot where it did not do well, to this full sun area.

I am happy to report that Jeana never looked so good! Advice: label your plants, or at leat photo catalog your beds which I do to show approximate locations.