Love, Love, Love this phlox! VERY powdery mildew resistant for me.

I love it too but it didn't do well for me this year where I had it located in full sun. Is it known to need part shade in hot summer climates?

Mine is actually located where it gets some mid day protection from the sun, so I don't know how it does in severe sun. We are also in zone 4.

mattsmom said:Mine is actually located where it gets some mid day protection from the sun, so I don't know how it does in severe sun. We are also in zone 4.

That's how mine is also. Zone 6 here.

I love this Phlox too! When I saw it at the store, I just had to have it! I look forward to seeing it in it bloom every year!

I also love this cultivar as attractive, hardy, vigorous, free standing and mildew resistant.

An oddity, that personally I don't mind, is that it apparently has some genetic instability.

All of my four purchases of 'Peppermint Twist' show branch mutations, apparently back to 'Candy Floss'.
'Peppermint Twist' itself was originally discovered as a branch mutation of 'Candy Floss'.
See picture.

Interesting! I haven't seen mine turn one color. Hope it comes back up and blooms this year!

Interesting for me too!
I did E-mail [email protected] in 2008, with several questions about the matter, but received no reply.

Have no idea of the prevalence of the reversion, which I've not seen mentioned on garden commercial or garden journalism sites.
However, have seen it mentioned by another gardener.

Had four of these plants, two started to show this reversion in the second year and the other two, by the fourth.
One plant is showing up to 40% reversion now (five years later).

May eventually start pruning out reverted branches/stems, though haven't wanted to so far.

Have one 'Candy Floss' (parent plant), which is also very hardy, but not as vigorous as 'Peppermint Twist'.
Last year was dividing the 'Peppermint Twist' plants and moving portions around.

Whatever the case, phlox are my very favourite summer perennials.

Love phlox, Marilyn.

Never seem anything like Peppermint Twist's behaviour.
But either way, it's very pretty.

I love Phlox also, and so do the wild rabbits!

Hope they haven't chew 'Peppermint Twist' or my 'Orange Perfection' up! I really love those two!

interesting, Marilyn, I never realized there was a rabbit-phlox problem.
Sorry to hear.

We see a few rabbits.
I'm only aware of a bit of early spring grazing on small shrubs and crocuses.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

Yes, we have lots of wild rabbits here year round and they are one of the reasons I keep losing my Phlox. I guess they 'think' their pruning the plants. I have a wild phlox that I hope they don't chew up this year.

Like you said, they mostly do it in the Spring.

The other reason I lose the Phlox is me. Maybe I don't give them the drainage they love, add enough compost and mulch, enough water, etc...

May be your location, Marilyn.
Garden phlox need adequate rain (and/or watering) over the summer.

'Peppermint Twist" is quite vigorous in it's growth.
Below part of one of my original plants, reduced in size and replanted the previous year.

Charlie

Great pic! Love the color combo of the two (even if it is the same plant)!

I just noticed yesterday that mine is a 'rosy-pink' color. Pretty! First time I've had it like that. I love it and will keep an eye out for a second Peppermint Twist to plant in my garden.

I love that colour too, Marilyn.

It's annoying to get no reply to the query re branch mutations from the distributors of 'Peppermint Twist', but that has to be 'Candy Floss'.

Still, like you, I don't mind getting two different attractive garden phlox cultivars for the price of one plant!

So far it's all a rosy pink color. No peppermint twist coloring, yet.

I realize this is a very old thread. But my Peppermint Twist has also been reverting to solid pink over the years. IF, I have any bicolor left this year I want to try and preserve it. Any one have knowledge if I should try to start cuttings (is this even possible with phlox) or tease out the good stem and plant separately?

Jennifer, I have read about cutting out reverted branches. I suspect it's best to eliminate them as they appear.

With your plant(s), I'd certainly go the way of teasing out good stems with roots. For garden phlox, root cuttings are recommended, not stem cuttings.