Downy Phlox
Phlox pilosa
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herbaceous
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- May, June, July
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Lacinipolia olivacea, Heliothis phloxiphaga, Idia aemula, Pyrrhia exprimens, Helicoverpa zea, Melanchra adjuncta, Papaipema nebris
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Phlox genus seeds consumed by Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), both western gallinaceous species not present in the Ottawa Valley. Genus-level dietary data only.
S57 2 bird species, genus-level records
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 2
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- SE
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.3 – Atlantic Highlands, 5.3.1 – Northern Appalachians and Atlantic Maritime Highlands
- Rarity Notes
- Extirpated in Ontario (SX) and nationally in Canada (NX). Not listed under SARA. Globally secure (G5). Never documented in Quebec. Ontario specimens historically concentrated in southwestern ecoregions (8.1.5, 8.2.1).
S22 SX ON, NX CA, G5; S26 not SARA listed; S48 ON specimen distribution
- Rarity Ranks
- ON SX – Extirpated
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- A prairie and open woodland species of dry, sandy or rocky soils. Inhabits oak-hickory forest borders, sand hills, prairies, roadsides, and grasslands. Reaches the northern limit of its range in southern Connecticut; historically present but now extirpated in Ontario (SX). Typical of disturbance-adapted, early-successional grassland communities.
S4 habitat; S7 oak-hickory borders, prairies; S61 northern limit in New England; S22 SX in ON
Permaculture & Companion Planting
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Blood Medicine, Dermatological Aid
S28 Meskwaki uses: blood medicine, dermatological aid, love medicine
- Notes
- Meskwaki (Fox) traditional medicine: infusion of leaves taken to purify blood; leaf infusion used as a wash for eczema; compound containing root used as a love medicine. All uses documented by Smith (1928).
S28 3 Meskwaki uses from Smith 1928
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Not documented as edible. Moerman records only medicinal and ceremonial uses by the Meskwaki; no food category entries for this species.
S28 Medicine+Drug=5 but no Food uses
Seed Source
- NANPS