Phlox Paniculata 'Franz Schubert'

Garden Phlox Franz Schubert

Phlox paniculata ‘Franz Schubert’ is an upright herbaceous garden phlox grown for fragrant lilac to pale lavender flowers with small white eyes, carried in large terminal panicles from mid- to late summer and sometimes into early fall. It forms a clump of green lance-shaped foliage on stiff upright stems that usually do not need staking, making it useful in perennial borders, cottage gardens, pollinator gardens, cutting gardens, and mixed sunny beds. Missouri Botanical Garden lists it as typically 2–3 ft. tall with fragrant flowers arranged in 6–12 in. long pyramidal clusters.

Type: Herbaceous perennial
Mature Size: 18–24 in. wide × 2–3 ft. tall
USDA Zones: 4a–8b
Form: Upright, clump-forming perennial
Light: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun with steady moisture
Soil / Water: Fertile, humusy, well-drained soil; medium, even moisture preferred
Bloom Time / Length: July–September; often 4–6 weeks
Wildlife: Fragrant flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds

Features & Landscape Uses:
Soft lilac-lavender flowers with white eyes, sweet fragrance, upright habit, and midsummer bloom make ‘Franz Schubert’ useful for middle perennial borders, cottage gardens, pollinator plantings, cutting gardens, and pastel color schemes. It combines well with coneflowers, rudbeckia, bee balm, salvia, ornamental grasses, sedum, and summer-blooming shrubs. General garden phlox flowers are nectar-rich and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Care:
Plant in rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil with good air circulation. Water at the base during dry spells to reduce drought stress and help limit powdery mildew. Deadhead spent flower clusters to keep plants tidy and encourage continued bloom. Cut stems back after frost or in early spring. Divide crowded clumps every few years in spring or fall. Mt. Cuba’s trial noted that ‘Franz Schubert’ performed poorly there because most plants failed to flower and it was prone to spider mites, with powdery mildew frequently observed but usually not causing heavy defoliation

Plant type

Perennial

Height

2-3'

Width

18-24"

Hardiness zones

4–8

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Growth rate

Moderate

Bloom time

Early Fall, Fall, Late Summer, Summer

Flower color

Lavender, Pink, White

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Green

Attracts

Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Soil

Humus rich, Moist well-drained

Landscape use

Border, Hedge, Mass Planting

Shape

Clump, Upright

Fragrant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No