phlox
Americannoun
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any plant of the genus Phlox, of North America, certain species of which are cultivated for their showy flowers of various colors.
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the flower of this plant.
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The resulting bunch of purple hydrangeas, lavender phlox and an assortment of cheery white flowers looked like a celebration of summer and generosity.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2023
The latter course is especially effective in spring-themed beds, where bulbs pop up between such things as hellebores, epimediums, creeping phlox, foam flowers, Virginia bluebells, Solomon’s seal and ferns.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2020
White Queen Anne’s lace and purple phlox and big orange daylilies blossomed along the road.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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