Phlox paniculata Butonik

Phlox paniculata Butonik, created in 1993 by a phlox enthusiast in Russia, is a truly amazing variety in that it bears flower buds that never open. This exceptional phlox develops a late summer flowering, with well-filled panicles composed of bright pink flower buds slightly tinged with purple, carried by very dark purple stems. The buds appear to be on the verge of opening for a month, without ever progressing beyond this stage. The plant has a bushy habit, with dark green foliage painted with purple hues on the upper leaves. A phlox of fairly tall stature, it is perfect at the front or middle of borders, not too far away so that its surprising non-flowering can be observed, which is still very vibrant in colour.

Phlox paniculata Butonik belongs to the family of Polemoniaceae. It is a perennial plant with a woody stump forming a dense clump of leafy stems 90 cm (35in) in height and 60 cm (24in) in width. The purple, stiff and sturdy stems are covered with dark green leaves, more or less tinged with purple. The 'flowering' begins in August, at the height of summer, and continues until September. Each stem carries an inflorescence. The flower buds are grouped at the end of the stems in upright and ramified panicles, dense and pyramidal in shape. The overall display is of a vibrant deep pink colour.

Phlox paniculata are perennial plants commonly found in cottage gardens, as their legendary simplicity and generosity are almost unmatched in perennial borders, to the point that one sometimes wonders what was planted in gardens before their discovery. Phlox paniculata Butonik is an unusual variety that deserves to be highlighted: for example, combine it with foliage of a somewhat lime-green colour like that of Carex elata Aurea. Perennial geraniums, as well as asters, daylilies, and echinaceas are good companions. Phlox paniculata Butonik is a top-notch perennial for creating unique flowering containers on the patio or balcony: combine it with Amaranthus, Pennisetum Rubrum.