McCallister’s Phlox, A Lavender Cousin of Drummond’s Phlox

Phlox as a genus has over 60 species. They produce beautifully colored 5 petaled tubular flowers and leaves covered with fuzzy hairs. Drummond’s Phlox generally produces cherry red colored flowers. McCallister’s Phlox is a pinkish-purple and white flowered subspecies of Drummond’s Phlox.

McCallister’s Phlox, Phlox drummondii ssp. mccallisteri, is easily confused with the Pointed Phlox (Phlox cuspidata) because their flowers look nearly identical. However, the lobes of the Pointed Phlox flowers come to a distinct point unlike the rounded, egg shaped lobes seen in this picture.

These native plants can be found in sandy soils in grasslands and open woodlands. They bloom from late winter to early summer, and range between 4 and 20 inches tall.