Hi fellow gardeners.
I'm considering adding a tall blue phlox to my mixed beds. Have any of you grown Blue Paradise, or other bluish tall phlox, successfully without significant mildew problems?

I'd appreciate any info you can offer from your experience. My old garden is in Calgary's Chinook zone.

Joy

Hi Joy. I had one some years ago. I never had any issues with mildew on it. I just recall, that it really had stunning blooms, that appeared to change colors between blue, to nearly violet. Then, it seemed to have suddenly mysteriously disappeared entirely ! Maybe, somebody saw it, & liked it also.
I've ordered another, & hope it is true to name cultivar. Last time, I got gypped !

I tried 'Blue Boy', a couple of times, & that one would seem to just die completely, & had no idea why.
There is a taller one named 'Dusterlhoe' (sp.?) which goes by another name here, in English. It was (more purple,)
yet quite a good grower, & flowered well, down this way.

Nowadays, there are quite a number of varieties. So many, I can't keep track of them all ! Including shorter kinds, & in various color Series.

While I have difficulty locating a white with slightly yellow centers, that had quite huge panicles. I think it was named 'Fuji', or 'Fujiyama', & ever since that white 'David' came along, haven't noticed it offered, since then.

There is a "reverted" form of 'David', though that color may not be quite to your liking. Although it is supposed to grow well, & be somewhat more resistant to that powdery mildew, also. Haven't tried that one yet.
I hope you find one to your liking. They do tend to take awhile to really begin to get started growing in Spring.

The alternate name for that Dusterlohe, is 'Nicky'. It is rather nice, if you get the real one.

Apparently, taking good care of your Phlox paniculata, even including older varieties, helps to prevent powdery mildew.
I've see comparison was done, (albeit, many years ago,) & even 'Katherine' did quite well, compared to 'David'. You may want to look for her.
I noticed one vendor here, for 'Katherine' fairly quick.

While I'm not so sure why 'Fujyama', isn't so readily available, here in the U.S. as it has AGM, by RHS.

Have a look in the Database here, for the real 'Blue Paradise'. This way, you'll know what it ought to look like, if you can buy a potted one, while in bloom.

As for 'Blue Boy', it must not have been a Phlox paniculata, being all that much of a memorable bloom, to me.

I think 'Eva Cullum' may have been another very nice looking cultivar.

Hi! Thank you so much.

Well, the one you had sounds beautiful. I wonder what happened to it:) (I used to put more rambunctious perennials along my back lane fence. Funny, one day someone came and dug them all out. I hope they enjoyed them.

I'm very tempted to try it. The color(s) sound very nice. Most perennials seem to do okay in my garden, so it's worth a try. I'm glad you didn't notice mildew issues on it.

Thanks again and happy gardening in 2021!

Joy

See following.

Am getting fed up with looking at snow. Hope Joy and Steve don't mind me adding to this thread with some colour.

I maintain a numbers of different garden phlox cultivars, including most mentioned above. Have convinced myself (at least in my gardens and with my style of perennial gardening, in zone 5b), that with optimal growing conditions, powdery mildew in garden phlox is basically a sign of weakened /stressed plants (viz. those stressed by inadequate air flow, light, watering, etc.). Have (or have had) at least several of all of the cultivars mentioned below, planted in different locations in gardens.

Have grown Blue Paradise and Blue Boy, but they died or lingered, so I got rid of them as lacking vigour. They never got to the stage of requiring division. Find the more purple Nicky long lived; same with Wendy House, though the latter seems less vigorous. Flame Purple is reliable and long-lived. Find the more recently introduction Delilah a particularly vibrant purple. Think the colour of David's Lavender is rather nondescipt. Have had it for years, but feel that it's nowhere near as vigorous and impressive a plant as its parent (white) David.

For Blue successes (so far), have had the short Flame Blue in the garden for several years; also Younique Old Blue. Both have been doing very well. Another acquisition (this one purple) within the last few years is Goldmine Improved, which has variegated leaves. So far, doing well.

Might also mention the long-lived purple-white bi-colour Laura. I've failed to see any difference between recently obtained Laura and Purple Kiss.

I'm suspecting that some of the differences in longevity I've noticed, between cultivars, may be due to the precise locations in which individual plants are planted. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that some cultivars are generally more robust, vigorous and more likely (everything else being equal) to survive than others.

Nicky


Wendy House


Flame Purple


Delilah


David's Lavender


Flame Blue


Younique Old Blue


Goldmine Improved


Laura

Charlie, thank you so much for all that information! I obviously haven't become familiar with using this site, and had missed your reply. Very helpful info:)

Happy to help, Joy.
Garden phlox are one of my very favourite (herbaceous) perennials. I love the colour range and feel that garden phlox can simply be left to colour coordinate among themselves.

I am a bit late to this discussion, but I have grown Blue Paradise for several years and it has performed well here. Last summer was extremely hot and humid and there was a tiny bit of mildew on the lower leaves, but nothing that detracted from the plant. I also grow Laura and it is beautiful, too, and mildew hasn't been a problem on it, either. Blue Boy, however was banished because it was very bad for mildew in my garden.

This is Blue Paradise blooming with Hemerocallis 'Ethereal Light'

Valerie, never too late for garden phlox!

I certainly had more experience planting and losing 'Blue Boy' than 'Blue Paradise'.
'Laura' has always done well for me.

Thanks, like the daylily with 'Blue Paradise'.

I planted several varieties of phlox last year after reading the research in this article: https://www.chicagobotanic.org...

You may find some blue varieties that work for you.