Garden Phlox
Crème Brûlée Phlox is a frost-tender annual that brings sophisticated charm to summer and fall gardens across zones 2-11. Named for its rich, caramelized appearance, this Phlox drummondii cultivar reaches a tidy 18 inches tall with a 10-inch spread, making it perfectly proportioned for beds, borders, and containers. From seed to first bloom takes 70 to 84 days, rewarding patient gardeners with continuous color from June through November in the right climate. It thrives in full sun with moderate water and drought tolerance, asking only for well-draining soil and good air circulation.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
18in H x 10in W
Perennial
High
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Crème Brûlée delivers the visual warmth of caramelized sugar in flower form, with a compact, bushy habit that needs minimal fussing. Its extended bloom window stretches from early summer into late fall, and it attracts pollinators throughout the season while tolerating dry spells once established. The variety's manageable height and disciplined spread make it a rare annual that looks intentional in any garden composition, never lanky or sprawling.
Crème Brûlée Phlox shines as a focal flower in mixed beds and borders, where its warm tones anchor color schemes. Its compact stature and prolific blooming habit make it particularly valuable for container gardens, window boxes, and raised beds where space is limited. The variety's pollinator magnetism also positions it as a workhorse for cutting gardens and naturalistic plantings designed to support bees and butterflies.
Sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep and cover with vermiculite to maintain humidity during germination. Keep soil at 55 to 65°F, which is slightly cooler than the 65 to 75°F optimal germination temperature; seeds should sprout in 7 to 30 days. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off once soil temperatures warm and frost danger passes.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed. Space plants 10 inches apart in full sun and well-draining soil. Handle seedlings carefully, as they are frost-tender and will not tolerate cold soil or late-spring freezes.
Direct sow in early spring once soil is workable, or make a second sowing six weeks later for succession bloom. In mild winter areas (zones 8 to 10), fall sowing is also possible. Press seeds 1/8 inch deep into prepared soil and keep consistently moist until germination.
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