phlox

American  

[floks] / flɒks /

noun

1. any plant of the genus Phlox, of North America, certain species of which are cultivated for their showy flowers of various colors.

2. the flower of this plant.

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phlox British  

/ flɒks /

noun

1. any polemoniaceous plant of the chiefly North American genus Phlox: cultivated for their clusters of white, red, or purple flowers

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Etymology

Origin of phlox

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin, special use of Latin phlox < Greek phlóx a flame-colored plant, literally, flame. See phlegm, phlogistic

Explanation

Phlox is a colorful flower with clusters of many small blossoms. If you want to add bright hues to your garden, you should plant some phlox. Most phlox is native to North America, but its range spans the continent, from frozen alpine tundra to midwestern prairies to Florida. You can find low-growing wild phlox in meadows and tall, ornamental varieties in gardens. This plant blooms in many different colors, including pale blue, purple, pink, and bright red. In Greek, phlox means "a flame," from a root meaning "to shine, flash, or burn."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

phlox

At this point, you’ll mostly lose the ocean view but be greeted by a diversity of local plants, including wildflowers like spreading phlox, and varieties of poppies, lupines and paintbrushes.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2025

It's named after pink flowers called wild ground phlox, which bloom in early spring and appear throughout the United States and Canada.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2024

It had been a dry summer, but the lavender Phenomenal was still thriving despite the heat, and so was the garden phlox, a favorite of the hummingbird clearwing moth.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2022

I have heard that phlox will produce repeat blooms quicker if it is not deadheaded.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

In the center of Baby Kochamma’s garden, surrounded by beds of cannae and phlox, a marble cherub peed an endless silver arc into a shallow pool in which a single blue lotus bloomed.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy