Phlox adsurgens

photos © UC Berkley

When I think of woodland phlox it's always in fantastic scenes, the likes of which Tolkien or Spenser or Shakespeare dreamed up - and although I've never come across it in its natural habitat (it's native to the Pacific Northwest) I believe I've fallen in love with it, and mostly through photographs.

These are a common perennial utilized in gardens across the country. Their color ranges from dusty pink to off-white and even purple, but they are perhaps most loved for their talent at drawing in butterflies.