Phlox paniculata Elisabeth

Phlox paniculata 'Elisabeth' is a delightful variety of panicled phlox with variegated foliage: this rather compact plant is adorned with beautiful leaves widely marginate with white-cream that serve as a backdrop for charming panicles of vivid pink flowers, which are slightly lighter in the centre. Decorative even when not in flower, this phlox stands out in sunny flower beds.  Place it in the sun, in good fertile garden soil that remains damp.

Phlox paniculata 'Elisabeth', introduced from the Netherlands in 2003, belongs to the family of Polemoniaceae. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with good longevity, with a woody stump, which develops from spring into a small bushy clump with a rather upright habit, composed of leafy stems. The plant will reach an average height of 60-65cm (24-26in) when in flower and 40cm (16in) in width. The stiff and sturdy stems, green in colour, are covered with alternate, simple, ovate and lanceolate, dentate leaves, measuring 10-12 cm (4-5in) in length. The young leaves, located at the top of the stems, are almost white. The mature leaves, on the other hand, are a rather dark green-grey, marked by a wide irregular white-cream margin.

The flowering period extends from June-July to August, provided that faded inflorescences are removed. The pretty pink flowers, with tubular corollas flaring into 5 petals, measure 3.7 to 4 cm (2in) in diameter. They are grouped at the top of sturdy stems in pyramid-shaped, nectar-rich and nectar-bearing panicles.

Phlox paniculata are common perennial plants in cottage gardens, because their legendary simplicity and generosity are almost unmatched in perennial flower beds, to the point where one sometimes wonders what was planted in flower gardens before their discovery. They work well with all kinds of plants, but we particularly like them next to roses, astilbes, and grasses. They are also enhanced by silver, grey, or purple foliage: artemisias, cinerarias, Stachys, or Amaranthus Velvet Curtains. The 'Elisabeth' phlox, decorative from spring to autumn and of modest stature, can also decorate the patio or balcony, planted in a beautiful pot.