Phlox divaricata Blue Ribbons

Phlox divaricata 'Blue Ribbons' is an elegant woodland groundcover with cream and green variegated foliage, which brightens up areas of partial shade in spring. Its lightly-scented, lavender-blue flowers form a light cloud above a dense, almost evergreen carpet. This very hardy and easy-going perennial for damp shade is interesting for almost the entire year.

This phlox belongs to the Polemoniaceae family. It derives from the species Phlox divaricata, the woodland phlox, native to the open forests and damp meadows of eastern North America. It is a carpeting perennial plant.
'Blue Ribbons' is a horticultural selection resulting from a foliage mutation observed in cultivation and then stabilised, protected by plant breeders' rights. It was chosen for its more compact habit and its variegation, which is much more decorative than the classic green foliage of the species. The plant forms a low cushion 7 to 10 cm in height, from which flowering stems of 20 to 30 cm emerge in spring, for a spread of 40 to 50 cm. The creeping stems root where they touch the soil and gently widen the carpet, without being invasive. The narrow, elongated leaves are medium green, broadly edged with cream to pale yellow; in cold weather, young shoots may take on a pink tinge. Depending on the climate, the foliage remains more or less in winter (semi-evergreen).
From April to May, small star-shaped flowers 2 to 3 cm across, lavender-blue to violet-blue and lightly scented, gather in small clusters at the ends of the stems. 'Blue Ribbons' is very hardy, withstanding frosts down to -25°C in well-drained soil and is happy in humus-rich, moist soil in bright partial shade. Note that this plant does not like lime.

In the garden, Phlox divaricata 'Blue Ribbons' carpets a light woodland floor, borders and slightly shaded rockeries. It can be tucked at the foot of small shrubs or between hostas and ferns. It pairs particularly well with Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', with its large silver leaves, and Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie', with its raspberry hues. It can also be mixed with Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' and Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' to compose a carpet of variegated foliage and spring flowers.