Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Phlox carolina
FAMILY
Polemoniaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Carolina Phlox at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Phlox carolina ssp. carolina
FAMILY
Polemoniaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Phlox glaberrima
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. alta
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. angusta
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. carolina
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. turritella
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Phlox glaberrima
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 159-01-009:
Phlox carolina FAMILY Polemoniaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Phlox carolina
COMMON NAME:
Carolina Phlox, Thick-leaf Phlox, Giant Phlox
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm230523_3346
May Greenville County SC
Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm0506i_11
June Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm0506i_12
June Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm080629_062
June Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm080629_066
June Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm080629_074
June Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
Leaves ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm180623_2996
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
Leaves without distinct lateral and marginal veins, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm180623_3001
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
P. carolina, P. glaberrima & P. maculata are a taxonomically difficult group, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm190604_9035
June Greenville County SC
Stamens equalling or exceeding the corolla tube (thus in part exserted), per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm190604_9038
June Greenville County SC
Typically, P. carolina's calyxes longer, more cylindrical than P. glaberrima, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm210624_1563
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
I don't think that the books tell us that occasionally leaves may be whorled (?).
)
JK Marlow jkm250618_1094
June Greenville County SC
Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
The junction-membranes between the sepals are thin, narrow, becoming markedly plicate-keeled, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
JK Marlow jkm090709_067b
July Haywood County NC
Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District
Calyx subcylindric, the sepals fairly broad, with a rather weak midrib, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm230713_4401
July Greenville County SC
Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve
)
Keith Bradley kab_phlox_carolina_1678
July Haywood County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
Ron Lance rwl_phlox_carolina
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm211027_4648
October Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Largest leaves near middle of the stem, usually 4-12cm long and 5-27mm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Phlox carolina
FAMILY
Polemoniaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Phlox carolina ssp. carolina
FAMILY
Polemoniaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Phlox glaberrima
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. alta
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. angusta
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. carolina
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Phlox carolina ssp. turritella
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Phlox glaberrima
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 159-01-009:
Phlox carolina
FAMILY
Polemoniaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Phlox carolina
1056
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: forests, woodlands, woodland borders, barrens, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & NC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Lavender/Pink/White
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed salverform corolla
5 exserted stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p220
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p163
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p180
- Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants p162
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p369
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p167
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p074
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p209
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p283
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p422
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p134
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