Polemonium reptans
Phlox subulata
Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata).
Also known as Woodland Phlox. Blue Phlox is certainly
one of our most ornamental woodland flowers, and a
garden treasure as well. The flowers come in shades of
sky-blue through lavender to nearly white. Generally
the flowers have five petals, but we do see one with
four petals once in a while.
Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata).
Pittsburgh is in the native range of Phlox
paniculata, but the flower is so popular in
gardens, and persists and spreads for so many years
after planting, that we always have to suspect any
individual plant of being a garden escape. The flowers
come in a range of colors from white through pink to
purple. In the Pittsburgh area at least, the species
shows a remarkable affinity for the edges of old
cemeteries, where perhaps it was once a popular
planting.