Phlox subulata 'Eye Candy' is a low growing mat forming groundcover with masses of soft pink flowers featuring a distinct dark pink eye. Blooming profusely in early to mid spring it creates a striking carpet of color perfect for edging, rock gardens, or cascading over walls. Its evergreen needlelike foliage provides year round texture in sunny areas with excellent drought tolerance once established.
Height & Spread: 4 - 6 in x 12 - 18 in
Bloom Time: Early to mid spring
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Sandy, well drained soil with low to moderate fertility
Watering Needs: Low once established
Deer Resistance: Avoided by deer due to tough, resinous foliage
Native Status
Phlox subulata is native to eastern and central North America, thriving in open woodlands and rocky slopes. 'Eye Candy' is a cultivated variety bred for enhanced floral display and compact growth.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Bees
- Attracts early season pollinators including honeybees and solitary bees such as mason bees and mining bees.
Butterflies
- Draws small spring butterflies like Spring Azure and Pearl Crescent for nectar feeding.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations:
- Plant 12 - 18 in apart to create a dense flowering mat while allowing airflow.
Landscape Placement:
- Ideal for rock gardens, slopes, retaining wall edges, and as a low growing sunny border filler. Also effective in erosion control when massed together.
Companion Plants
- Thymus serpyllum (Creeping Thyme) - Fragrant groundcover spreads among phlox patches with tiny pink to purple flowers.
- Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft) - Crisp white flowers and low habit match phlox in bloom time and form.
- Allium schoenoprasum (Chives) - Edible grassy texture and purple blooms harmonize with pink phlox shades.
- Armeria maritima 'Splendens' - Pink globes rise just above the phlox mat adding vertical interest.
- Sedum acre 'Aureum' - Yellow green foliage creates sharp contrast and tolerates dry sunny soil.