Phlox 'PEPPERMINT TWIST'® perennial phlox

Peppermint Twist® is a perennial phlox found in the Netherlands in 2001 as a naturally occurring mutation of another pink-flowering phlox named Candy Floss. Its flowers were distinctly different – each petal had pink colour only in the middle surrounded by fat white stripes along the margins. That is why the flower looks like a fairground attraction. And since vegetative reproduction proved this variation to be stable the plant was patented under PP18,196 in 2006, and is now available in nurseries around the world as Peppermint Twist®.

The panicle-like flower heads are 10-12 cm wide, consist of 2cm wide, pink and white striped, scented flowers that open in mid June and continue flowering for 2-3 months if deadheaded. They are born on 35-40 cm tall stems and form a compact bush. Leaves are mid green, lanceolate, resistant to powdery mildew.

Growing phlox is easy. It likes almost any garden soil, fertile or poor, but with enough nutrients the flowering will be heavier and the plant will not suffer common phlox diseases. They are long-lived plants that will stay in your garden until you dig them out. Peppermint Twist is not weedy. Sunny location is preferred but will flower in partial shade, too. Hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 11-01-2012