Phlox divaricata aka Forest Phlox

Phlox divaricata, also known as wild blue phlox, woodland phlox, or wild sweet william, is a flowering plant native to forests and fields in eastern North America. It is a semi-evergreen perennial that can reach a height of 30cm. The plant has trailing, rooting stems, hairy ovate leaves, and loose cymes of slightly fragrant white flowers that are 2-3cm in width. In cultivated varieties, the flowers can be blue, lavender, or white. Woodland phlox is a spreading wildflower that forms mats of foliage and typically grows to 12-15" tall. It is commonly found in rich woods, fields, and along streams. The tubular flowers are lilac to rose to blue in color and have five flat, notched petal-like lobes. They appear in loose clusters at the stem tips in spring. The stems of the plant are hairy and sticky. The lance-shaped to elliptic leaves measure up to 2" long. Over time, phlox divaricata can form large colonies as leafy shoots spread along the ground and root at the nodes. The genus name, phlox, originates from the Greek word meaning flame, referring to the intense flower colors of certain varieties. The specific epithet, divaricata, means spreading.