Phlox subulata 'Daisy Hill'

Perennial from the Polemoniaceae family, this cultivar of Phlox subulata shares the North American origin of the species, naturally established on rocky outcrops, dry slopes, and sandy soils of the eastern United States. 'Daisy Hill' is an old cultivar, whose exact origin is not clearly documented; the name refers to a historical Irish nursery, but this attribution remains to be confirmed.

It forms a dense and vigorous carpet 8 to 12 cm in height when in bloom, consisting of woody stems adorned with persistent linear-subulate leaves, dark green, tight and prickly to the touch. The cushion spreads generously in width over the years.

The flowers, abundant and tight, are a true lilac pink to bright mauve pink, with a small well-marked dark red central eye. The hue, clear and sustained, without streaks or gradient, uniformly covers the foliage at flowering to the point of almost entirely concealing it. The color, which oscillates between bright pink and lilac depending on the light, is one of the most intense in this range among the species' cultivars.

In its natural habitat, the species' flowering extends from April to June. In cultivation, 'Daisy Hill' generally blooms in April-May. It requires full sun, a well-drained soil, calcareous or not, and does not tolerate persistent moisture in winter.