Phlox paniculata, aka ‘tall phlox’ ~ Jeana

I absolutely can not be without Jeana phlox, and I plant it in all my client gardens. Jeana is a bullet-proof, mildew-free north America nativar. The Jeana show begins in August and continues well into October in our southern New Hampshire gardens, giving us months of beauty and enjoyment. Mt. Cuba trialed different phlox and Jeana was the butterfly favorite!

Designing with jeana:

Jeana is one of the taller varieties of garden phlox ~ growing to 48” or more ~ and can be prone to flopping without support. There are two easy solutions to this: either plant Jeana among other plants and structures to help it stand up straight and/or simply apply the ‘Chelsea Chop’ in late May. Cutting the plant by half just before Memorial Day will cause the plant to develop a stronger base and lateral branching, ultimately shortening the overall height by 12-15”. Bloom will only be slightly delayed. The first image below shows a row of phlox that has been chopped as well as a taller stand on the corner of the patio that was not chopped.

In my garden, Jeana is supported from behind by our stone patio wall and in front by lush, mounding astilbe and spigelia, aka ‘Indian Pink’. This trio of perennials, preceded by a mixture of allium ensure months of bloom and pollinator habitat. This should be a recipe for powdery mildew, but in 5 years, I’ve never had a problem with Jeana!

Click images in gallery to see Jeana phlox in The Big Little Garden.

Spicebush swallowtail feeds on phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ before laying eggs on my lindera benzoin (spicebush), 8/13/23