Phlox carolina 'Minnie Pearl'

Phlox 'Minnie Pearl' is a hybrid with sweetly fragrant, pure white flowers on stems 1-2 feet tall very early in the season for a phlox. The foliage is a glossy bright green and seems impervious to powdery mildew. Clumps spread slowly and politely by underground rhizomes expanding a little bit each year. Cutting down the flower stalks after flowering might encourage a fall rebloom. 'Minnie Pearl' is a sister to 'Amethyst Pearl'. ‘Minnie Pearl’ was discovered growing along the roadside in Kemper, Mississippi by plantswoman Karen Partlow. It appears to be a naturally occurring hybrid of P. maculata x P. glaberrima, though it has a nice upright habit like the paniculatas. Clusters of large, pure white flowers completely cover the glossy, green foliage from early to late summer. In warmer zones, this plant reportedly begins blooming in April, long before the paniculatas. The relatively short plants spread slowly to form a 2ft wide clump in about 3 years. Copied description Phlox paniculata 'Modern Art’ has large, bright flowers in a saturated shade of raspberry with large white stars in their centers and a sweet, old-fashioned fragrance. A classic boarder plant, good for cutting. Plant in full sun and humusy soil with good ventilation for best results. VERY FEW DETAILS

Prolific fragrant white flowers (before P. paniculata) on sturdy 12-18" stalks, mildew-resistant foliage and a slowly spreading habit: Ma Nature did good on this natural hybrid and Karen Partlow did good finding it! S/M/GDr

‘Minnie Pearl’ is a very fine low-growing phlox, and is easy to recommend for many uses, such as edging, massing and for planting between shrubs. Pure white flowers appear in early summer, at 15-20 inches tall. The leaves stays a lovely shiny bright-green, and it seems impervious to wilt, powdery mildew and bacterial spots, so even when not in bloom, the foliage is beautiful. The clumps spread slowly to about 2 ft wide. It can handle hot and dry situations, and so is recommended for southern states. ‘Minnie Pearl’ is not a paniculata Phlox, but evidently a wild cross between Phlox maculata and Phlox glaberrima, which was discovered growing along a roadside in Mississippi by Karen Partlow.

This lovely phlox selection with clean white flowers explodes into bloom in early summer, long before the paniculatas. 'Minnie Pearl' is noted for its clean foliage (not a speck of mildew to be seen anywhere), compact stature, spreading habit, and long bloom time. A natural hybrid between P. maculata and P. glaberimma, its fragrant flowers are highly attractive to butterflies. 12-18"