Kelsey’s Phlox, Marsh phlox
Phlox kelseyi Britt.
This early bloomer is covered in glowing bright-purple flowers that hide its needle-like green foliage. It has a longer bloom time than many other Phlox species and is less likely to suffer from winterburn (perhaps because it is so short). It’s a great plant for the front of a garden bed. Phlox kelseyi is found in a few locations in Wyoming; the cultivar ‘Lemhi Purple’ was originally collected in the Lemhi Mountains, which are near the southwest portion of the Montana-Idaho border.
Height: 1-1.5”
Width: 5-8”
Water needs: low to moderate
Exposure: full sun to light shade
Availability in nurseries: common
Native range: central CO to MT and west to ID and NV (WY native)
Plant family: Polemoniaceae
Photo by Jennifer Thompson
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