Wildflower (forb) · Polemoniaceae

Moss phlox

Phlox subulata · includes its varieties and subspecies

Moss phlox is recorded as native to 20 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 285 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Moss phlox at a glance

Native in: 285 counties, across 20 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4b PLANTS minimum temperature −28°F
Mature height: 6 in PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Sun to part shade High water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −28°F; zone 4b winters bottom out at −25°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 285 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arkansas 11 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Kentucky 14 counties
Louisiana 8 counties
Maine 8 counties
Massachusetts 10 counties
Michigan 29 counties
Minnesota 2 counties
New Hampshire 5 counties
New Jersey 15 counties
New York 24 counties
North Carolina 3 counties
Ohio 36 counties
Pennsylvania 37 counties
Rhode Island 1 county
Tennessee 7 counties
Vermont 4 counties
Virginia 35 counties
West Virginia 22 counties
Wisconsin 14 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Subshrub
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 6 in
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth form: Stoloniferous
Shape: Prostrate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intermediate (sun to part shade)
Moisture use: High water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 34 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse, medium and fine
pH range: 5.7 to 7.5
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: High
Minimum root depth: 8 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −28°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 100
Fire tolerance: High

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Purple
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Early Spring
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: Yes
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Not recorded

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Routinely Available
Family: Polemoniaceae
PLANTS symbol: PHSU3

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Phlox subulata (PLANTS symbol PHSU3), including 1 variety or subspecies folded into the species.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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