Phlox subulata, common name moss phlox, is one of the earliest harbingers of spring when things are about to blow up in April. Aside from bulbs, moss phlox is the first flowering plant you will tend to see in gardens and yards. The semi-evergreen foliage will suddenly green up, get covered with a profusion of buds, and transform into a carpet of flowers with the domed shape of a cumulus cloud (yes, the meteorologist must make a weather reference here). Moss phlox is always somewhat of a surprise to me; I forget where I've seen it flower in others' yards in previous years, and I discover it all over again when it blooms each spring.
The true beauty of moss phlox - particularly the 'Emerald blue' variety that I have under the peach tree in my yard - is that it is most enchanting in low light. The blue is washed out to a light purple in bright sun, but in the early morning or evening light, the true color is revealed. Check out the following photos and tell me the phlox isn't glowing in the 2nd one!
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