Phlox Showoffs

Submitted by Mikkelsen on

The first one, Phlox canescens, was a mail order from Mt. Tahoma:

This one, Phlox bryoides (or hybrid of four different phloxes in the same area), was grown from seed collected in Duchesne County, Utah:

Comments

Submitted by RickR on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 15:36

You can show off any time, James!

The twisted buds on the Phlox canescens is a nice touch in the photo.

They certainly are happy plants!

Submitted by Lori S. on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 17:13

Wonderful!  I imagine those are blooming now where you are?  (I'm deeply envious, if so.  ;D)

Submitted by Mikkelsen on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 19:57

Yes, they are. The Phlox bryoides is nearly over but there are other small ones that are blooming. The P. bryoides was first and then as the weeks go by another similar species will take its place. Lotsa fun!

Submitted by Hoy on Sat, 04/13/2013 - 01:46

I do like those Phloxes :o
Are they desert plants and demand dry winters? I assume they tolerate cold but not wet winters?

Submitted by Mikkelsen on Sat, 04/13/2013 - 11:02

Hoy wrote:

I do like those Phloxes :o
Are they desert plants and demand dry winters? I assume they tolerate cold but not wet winters?

Yes, they are desert phloxes. Speaking for the plants likes / dislikes, (which is an awful choice by any human being :rolleyes:) shows that they can really take a hit with the cold and the lack of precipitation. In the Duchesne Basin (the phloxes growing on the basin floor and up to about 3000' higher than this, (making it a bit warmer) the nighttime low temperatures were brutal (i.e. quite a bit lower than average) for weeks at a time in January and February. Temperatures were below normal by 10 to 15 degrees for both daytime highs and overnight lows. This link http://www.usa.com/duchesne-county-ut-weather.htm shows the temps and precipitation for Duchesne County in the first two graphs. It's quite easy to see that the plants in this area like cold and dry.

My apologies for tedium. I truly find desert and alpine plants this fascinating as to find their geographic location and track the temperatures and precipitation each year. As I have done this for for the past 8 to 10 years, depending on the location, I have found that when the desert plants "suffer" (according to human tolerances) a more difficult winter than usual, these are the best years for seed collection and far be it from me to not collect the seeds from these gems since they have already suffered enough :)

It will be a thrill to showoff the Penstemon dolius v. duchesnensis in this year's garden. Stay tuned!

Warm Springtime Regards,
James

Submitted by Longma on Sat, 04/13/2013 - 12:49

James wrote:

Hoy wrote:

I do like those Phloxes :o
Are they desert plants and demand dry winters? I assume they tolerate cold but not wet winters?

will be a thrill to showoff the Penstemon dolius v. duchesnensis in this year's garden. Stay tuned!

Warm Springtime Regards,
James

It will certainly be a thrill to see it James.  :) I for one am TUNED  ;D

Submitted by Hoy on Sun, 04/14/2013 - 00:42

Thanks James.
This winter and spring had been perfect for them in my garden! But it wouldn't last - this has been one of the 3 driest and coldest winters/springs for 130 years :-\
They would probably like it better at my summerhouse ;)

Now I'm looking forward to your Penstemon show ;D

Submitted by deesen on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 12:32

....... and I'm ready and waiting too.

Submitted by Anne Spiegel on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 15:59

Staying tuned and waiting.  Please photograph everything.  Since you like the desert plants, are you growing astragalus and oxytropis too?  I've been to Duchesne years ago with Bill King.  Remember seeing wonderful townsendias and astragalus (must not have been phlox time because they would certainly be in my memory bank.)