Growing Phlox for Pollinators

When it comes to attracting a diverse collection of insects phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’ out performs all the other varieties, including ‘Jeana’. Watch to see the evidence 🦋 🐝

[@Yvonne_ennovY]

Thank you!! I've been shopping around for the best paniculata phlox to add to my zone 7b garden (outside of Chapel Hill NC). I absolutely love the structure and bloom color of Bright Eyes, but the swallowtail "family reunion" sold me on it. 🤩🙌🏾🦋🐝

[@Aroundteresaenjoy]

Enjoyed your video, wow! 🦋🐝🐞🕷👍

[@HarmonyHillsHomeandGarden]

I have both also and had the exact opposite experience. I did notice both took 2-3 years to really perform at all, and once both were older, Jeana wins the atrial In my garden hands down.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Good to hear. So far jeana hasn’t managed to live more Tran a season in my garden. Thus is my third try planting it. We shall see. So far I’m extremely disappointed.

[@LostInThisGardenofLife]

I’m so excited. I planted one bright eyes in a long “meadow” strip I’m starting on the side of the garden. I hope it bulks up over time. It looks like a pollinator magnet comparable to mountain mint. 😍🦋❤

[@ronaldmoose6876]

Interesting results for your garden. I have heard that "Jeana" outperformed other varieties in trials, but so many variables go into that, local weather, soil conditions, etc., so it is hard to say which variety will perform best in any particular location. I have 'John Fanick' planted in a zone 7b central NC garden and it has done quite well. This year it is one of our best pollinator plants. It did take about 3 years for it to really settle in and perform well. Also, we are mostly growing in clay soil, it was a former cotton field left to grow up into woodland since WWII, I think. All of that has an impact on how things grow now. I will keep an eye out for 'Bright Eyes' and 'Jeana' too. Might be interesting to compare the three of them and see what happens. Thanks Brie!

[@kimdamico9618]

Hi Brie! Great advice, but I still love Jeana too. I’ve grown Jeana in my gardens for many years now and it certainly is a butterfly magnet! I’m looking at 8 butterflies on it as I’m typing this. I live in Pittsboro now, but I used to grow it in Apex, also Zone 7b. When I used to grow it for the City of Raleigh Parks and we would plant it in partial sun. It’s definitely not a full sun phlox here. Once it gets really hot, it languishes. You might want to trial it on the North or East side of your house. It definitely looks like its suffering. As far as its vigor, I do find that it does not enjoy full blasting sun here in Raleigh. I would only give it partial sun and be prepared to chop it mid summer. The Bright Eyes phlox is definitely more suited to our brutal summers. As we all know, right plant, right place. Totally agree with being selective with plant list recommendations from Mr. Cuba. Totally different summertime stressors up there. Love your channel! Keep on keeping on!😊

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Great advice! Thank you!!! I was wondering if I should move it to the east facing edge of the woods and you confirmed that!!

[@theresegutman6931]

Thank you so much for this video. I recently purchased Jeana phlox too and I am definitely not impressed with it. Thanks again for the informative video

[@eileenmc8808]

Oh boy. Just bought a Jeana yesterday😵‍💫. I'm zone 7a in No. Va. Guess we'll see.

[@ThreeRunHomer]

Bright Eyes looks great, but you know you can’t judge Jeana if it’s in its first season. Perennials are crap in their first season. 😆 Jeana is growing well in its second year in my Knoxville yard, but I’ll happily add Bright Eyes too if I find it in a nursery here.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Hopefully jeana will live long enough to get established. As I mentioned in the video I’ve tried jeana before and it died after 18 months.

[@paragraph_meadow]

Jeana really struggled in my garden too... I'm in NE Tennessee and Jeana was found growing near Nashville, so I thought it would be a good fit. I think it must do better in the mid Atlantic region.

[@anitahadley2871]

How much shade can they tolerate? The group in the shade looks fantastic.

[@ericjorgensen8028]

To be critical (as you requested) of this comparison is not too difficult... Of course the pollinator count would be higher on a stand of very healthy, blooming phlox as opposed to another growing and blooming poorly. pollinators look for flowers, and the lousy (for you) Jeana obviously wouldn't attract anthem compared to the very established and healthy (and upright) Bright eyes. It was only anecdotal, of course, but not much of a fair comparison about pollinator use, but a good comparison of how two varieties grow in your area. I grow Phlox David, which for a while was free of mildew problems - lately it gets it bad at the end of tye blooming season. Bright eyes foliage looks totally clean in the video... Does it stay clean for you? I may have to try it if it does!! Keep on keeping on.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Agreed- totally anecdotal. I have yet to see healthy Jeana south of DC. Bright eyes stays mildew free till fall.

[@ericjorgensen8028]

Thank You! I gotta find me some Bright eyes!

[@bryanmcavoy5302]

This is quite helpful. I live in zone 8a in South Carolina with sandy soil. If Jeana is struggling there, I'm sure it'd be doomed here. Looks like it still gets powdery mildew, which there is no escaping, so I'm not worried about that. One question, how much have you amended the soil in the beds where Bright Eyes is growing? Thanks!

[@BrieThePlantLady]

This bed along the house has a few inches of soil3 added 3 years ago and mulch once a year since, so not very amended. Other patches had more/ less the same organic matter added.

[@willaerley7140]

How many Bright Eyes did you have to plant to get that display? My phlox tends to clump and I have to divide it manually.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

One- bright eyes is very spreadable on its own.

[@mkitchens8163]

I've never had Jeana. I've got David, which does well even in conditions that aren't favorable (too much shade) and tall purple garden phlox. The Bright Eyes I planted two years ago just puts up one stalk and still hasn't bloomed. I wonder if the new varieties of phlox from Proven Winners are as attractive to pollinators?

[@BrieThePlantLady]

I need to get them and put them to the test!

[@DanODNC1]

Wonderful! I'm in Durham, NC. Do you know a good local place to get Bright Eyes?

[@Yvonne_ennovY]

Would love to know the same, in Durham or Orange counties.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

I’m going to get some potted for the fall open garden on Saturday 23 Sept.

[@milliebutterfly]

Do you think Bright Eyes would do well in zone 8a? I have been searching for a phlox to add to my garden.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Yes I know I’ve seen it in zone 8 thriving.

[@lorrainecourtney4589]

Gorgeous ❤❤ Where can I get bright eyes ?

[@BrieThePlantLady]

I’ll have it at the fall open garden!

[@LostInThisGardenofLife]

Oh no. Jeana looks so sad. 😮

[@seandelevan]

Phlox Paniculata…aka deer food.

[@BrieThePlantLady]

Obviously that isn’t true here jn my garden but every place is different. You can always add cattle fence panels to deter the deer temporarily. There are a million creative idea to garden with deer. Everyone has them.