Luminary™ 'Backlight' Tall Garden Phlox
Perennial
- Pure white flowers glow in moon gardens! Fragrance attracts pollinators, day or night.
- Dark green foliage is resistant to powdery mildew.
- Easy to grow native perennial.
- Zones 3-8, sun/part sun, 30" tall x 24" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Beyond their bright colors, the Luminary™ series from Proven Winners were bred for powdery mildew resistance. Dark green foliage stays handsome all season long, even in hot and humid conditions. These native perennials are easy to grow and even easier to love, which is why we recommend them for gardeners of any level!
Details
Patent #: PP34506
Common name: Tall garden phlox
Zone: 3 – 8
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun)
Height x width: 28-30″ tall x 20-24" wide
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Summer to fall
Bloom time: Midsummer, late summer
Features: Proven Winners, native, fragrant, container plants, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Background, border, cottage garden, massing, specimen, wildflower, flower garden, pollinator garden
How to Grow
Light: Phlox grows best in full sun.
Water: Has average water needs.
Spacing: 28 - 30"
Fertilizing: If desired, apply a minimal amount of all-purpose garden fertilizer around the base of the plant in spring.
Winterizing: Cut foliage in late fall to prevent powdery mildew and other fungal diseases from returning in spring.
Maintenance & pruning: Thin or prune by half in spring and prune spent flowers off after bloom, just above the foliage to encourage more blooms.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Arrived, healthy, and sturdy
I ordered 2 of these this spring and they have settled in nicely in my zone 8a garden. They are in the sun for most of the day and have held up really well with supplemental watering during the incredible drought we had in June/early July in central North Carolina. Since then, we've had nothing but rain, sometimes hard rain, and they have held up well also, bouncing back quickly. Most importantly, I have not noticed any mildew after the rains. The plants were close to a foot tall but skinny when they arrived and were in great shape. They have basically been blooming nonstop since I planted them. Because of the bright white, they pair well with other pink/purple phloxes I have nearby and I am looking forward to seeing them get fuller and taller as time goes by. I know I will want plant some close to some bright pink coneflowers I grew from seed this year. All in all, I'm extremely pleased with this Proven Winners variety of phlox.
I only had two plants and I really overpaid for these not so large plants. The packaging was not great either. I will shop locally in the future.
Plants arrived in great condition and are thriving! I love them.
Disappointed
Hello! We're sorry you're unsatisfied with your order. All of our plants are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so our customer service team would love to hear from you. Please send an email to us, making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line or call us so that we may provide the best assistance possible.
Wonderful and great shape.
Excellent. Product arrived in excellent condition. Nice size of the plants.
I will NOT order from your company again. After receiving these tiny little plants, I went to a local nursery where I found the exact same plants for the the exact same price that were 3X as big in ONE Gallon size pots! The plants you sold me should have been half the price I paid, at the very least. Plus I paid shipping on top of it. Fool me once - never again. :/
We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! On each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. The size of our plants varies depending on the time of year and whether they were recently trimmed. The most important thing when purchasing plants, online or in garden centers, is a full and robust root system, which we prioritize. Trimming only encourages stronger root development! All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please reach out to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary.
Only two came up.
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
This perennial arrived in great condition. The plant is in a sunny location and has plenty of new growth. It is May, early in the season so no flowering yet to comment on. I have ordered shrubs from Great Garden Plants successfully that have done great. This is my first experience with perennials from this mail order site and it is good too.
Purchased 2 and planted late. After several weeks, one of them starting blooming, but no height on either of them; but, the blooms were beautiful. Had our first frost, and they survived, which was good. Hoping to see better this spring.
As always, Great Garden Plants had the lowest pricing and shipping costs. The four plants were meticulously packed and I can't wait to see how they do next spring.
They are growing nicely except I lost one under all the same conditions it was weird. Please let me know if you are able to replace. My number is [****]. Connie Butler.
Hello! we're sorry that you're having trouble with your plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that time frame, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
Arrived very healthy and in the past two weeks has already grown and multiplied.
These are in great shape even they arrived. I was not sure about using sort of a random online nursery to get the plant I wanted but it paid off.
I planted "Backlight" in front of my original "Davidi" phlox to fill up the corner space so when they bloomed together I was awed by the improved hybridizing of "Backlight"!! And when I used it again as a cut flower I noticed that the blooms last longer in my flower arrangement. A real winner!
It arrived in perfect condition and is already putting on growth looking forward to the gorgeous pollinator friendly blooms!
The plants arrived in great condition. I was able to plant about 3 days after arriving and of course, we are having unbelievable heat for April. They still look great as I water regularly. Love Great Garden
So far so good.
Luminary™ 'Backlight' Tall Garden Phlox
What time of year can I divide the phlox?
Hello! Dividing perennials is best done in spring.
When do you ship your products? Do you wait until it’s the right time for planting?
We begin shipping plants at proper planting time in your area, which is determined by your USDA Hardiness Zone. If you prefer, you may specify a later shipping date during the checkout process. Our shipments go out within three business days of the date you select. Amount of time for you to receive your order after it ships depends on your distance from Grand Haven, Michigan.
Can these be planted in late summer early fall in the northeast US?
Yes, you can plant then! Just make sure it's at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost of fall in your area.
Are they pest resistant, i.e. rabbits?
Phlox may be eaten by both rabbits and deer, so if you have either of them, they should be protected.
What is the bloom time frame for these phlox? Are they continual bloomers? Thanks!
They typically bloom from mid to late summer!