Phlox paniculata 'HERBSTWALZER'

I love seeing that even so-called old-fashioned plants such as perennial phlox still attract breeders’ attention and they invest time and energy in crossbreeding and selecting new, hardier, healthier, and more beautiful varieties.

Faithful to its name this perennial phlox will waltz over to our late summer and autumn flower beds in its splendid pink frock. It is called Herbstwalzer i.e. Autumn Waltz Dancer, and was bred by German breeder Peter zur Linden from Bissendorf in 1996. It makes large panicles composed of fragrant, pink flowers with a small, deep purple red eye in the centre. They attract butterflies and come out late in the season – mid to late August when most other varieties are at its peak or slowly withering. If you remove stems with spent flowers they can produce new stems with flowers until September or early October. The leaves are lance-shaped, medium green, and stems reach 80-120 cm tall.

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. Sunny location is preferred but will flower in partial shade, too. Hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 10-02-2020