Last summer a purply-pink perennial phlox popped up in one of my flowerbeds and started blooming like it owned the place. I had no recollection of planting a phlox in that spot, so I had to do some digging through my digital images and in my garden journals to figure out where this mysterious plant came from.
Meet ‘Red Super.’ The last time this phlox bloomed in that spot was eight years ago. I have no idea what it’s been doing since, nor do I know why it suddenly exploded to life after such a long absence. I assume it must’ve been sending up shoots during the intervening years, but maybe they never bloomed. Or maybe they were so short they got buried by nearby plants.
Whatever the case, this phlox bloomed like crazy in July and August and was a wonderful addition to my flowerbed.
‘Red Super’ grows 36 inches tall. Sellers tease that this phlox is red or near-red, but it’s definitely dark pink with some purple undertones. ‘Red Super’ is powdery-mildew resistant and hardy in Zones 3-8.
Don’t let my freaky experience with this plant stop you from growing one in your garden. The flowers contrast beautifully with the plant’s green foliage, and they look lovely growing next to pink, purple, yellow, white and even orange flowers.