Phlox paniculata Sherbet Cocktail

Phlox paniculata 'Sherbet Cocktail' is the first cultivar of phlox that produces flowers with a hint of yellow. Unique, it displays huge clusters in pastel shades during the summer, reminiscent of the cascading panicles of certain hydrangeas in terms of colour and texture. Its pale pink-purple flowers are bordered with lime green. This medium-sized variety offers a highly fragrant flowering and proves resistant to powdery mildew. An excellent perennial for borders, it also thrives in pots. It thrives in damp, fertile soil and in very sunny locations.

Phlox paniculata 'Sherbet Cocktail' belongs to the Polemoniaceae family. It is a recent variety with a bushy habit and rather erect growth, composed of leafy stems. The plant will not exceed 70 cm (28in) in height when in bloom, and 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20in) in width. The stems, upright and sturdy, are covered with single dark green but vibrant leaves, measuring approximately 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) in length. Flowering begins in August, at the height of summer, and continues until September-October, provided faded inflorescences are removed. Emerging from chocolate-coluored bracts, the flower buds are yellow and open into small flowers composed of unfused petals, in an exotic mix of pink, mauve, ivory, white, and lime green. Then, the corolla opens wider, while the petals, which have become a more intense pink-purple, lose their green hue at full bloom. The flowers are clustered at the top of erect, dense, and pyramidal panicles, measuring 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6in) in length, pleasantly fragrant, with the weight barely bending the stems. The flowering is meliferous and nectariferous.

Phlox paniculata are perennial plants commonly found in cottage gardens.  Their legendary simplicity and generosity are unmatched in perennial beds, to the point that one sometimes wonders what was planted in flower gardens before their discovery. They go well with Monarda or Daisies. 'Sherbet Cocktail' pairs well, in a white garden, with delphiniums, roses, or penstemons and is perfect in English-style mixed borders. This Phlox can be combined with airy asters like 'Miracle Blanc' or Aster pringlei Monte Cassino, with border daylilies in the same tone, or with roses such as 'Jacqueline du Pré' or 'Boule de Neige'. The bed can be punctuated with silver or grey foliage: artemisias, cinerarias, Stachys, or dusty millers. Phlox 'Sherbet Cocktail' is a top-quality variety for planting in pots and creating bouquets.