Annual Phlox is an annual, growing from seed each
year. The branches have sharp, pointed, lengthy, ciliated leaves with
rounded flowers. The flowers are single or double, with lightly
scented, flat, star-shaped petals. The flowers mature to 2.5 cm in
diameter. The flowers can be white, red, magenta, lavender, or pink
and usually have a lighter-colored "eye" in the center. Important
cultivars and hybrids include 'Brilliant', a tall, long-blooming phlox
that comes in several colors; 'Chanal', a pink double that looks a
little like a rose; 'Globe', Dwarf Beauty', 'Petticoat', and 'Palona'.
Annual phlox is native to Texas, where is was first collected by its
namesake, Thomas Drummond (1790-1855), a Scottish botanist.