biology

Phlox subulata

Phlox subulata is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Phlox subulata rather than just read about it. In short: Phlox subulata the creeping phlox, moss phlox, moss pink or mountain phlox, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to the eastern and central United States, and widely cultivated. The odor given off by the plants may be mistaken for that of marijuana.

Key takeaways

Phlox subulata belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Phlox subulata to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Phlox subulata from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Phlox subulata the creeping phlox, moss phlox, moss pink or mountain phlox, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to the eastern and central United States, and widely cultivated. The odor given off by the plants may be mistaken for that of marijuana.

Description Growing to about 13 cm (5 in) high at most and covering a 50 cm (20 in) wide area, it is an evergreen perennial forming mats or cushions of hairy, linear leaves. The small, five-petaled flowers bloom in rose, mauve, blue, white, or pink in late spring to early summer. Its habitats include rocky ledges, slopes and clearings.

Taxonomy The Latin specific epithet subulata means awl- or needle-shaped which refers to its leaves.

Cultivation The plant is cultivated as a front-of-border or groundcover plant. Requiring full sun and well-drained soil, it is very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to −20 °C (−4 °F), and is suitable for hardiness zones USDA 3 to 9. It grows in sandy or gravely soil. It only requires light watering. In winter it's recommended to occasionally feed with liquid fertilizer before its season of flowering.

Cultivars The following cultivars have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

'Kelly's Eye' (pink) 'McDaniel's Cushion' (deep pink) 'Red Wings' (carmine red)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phlox subulata

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phlox subulata claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Phlox subulata before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Phlox subulata ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Phlox subulata

In research: Phlox subulata appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Phlox subulata in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Phlox subulata is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus, Flora of Kentucky, Flora of New York (state), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phlox subulata outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Phlox subulata” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Phlox subulata in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phlox subulata means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Phlox subulata out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phlox subulata in simple terms?

Why does Phlox subulata matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Phlox subulata?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Phlox subulata.