About Phlox hoodii Richardson
Phlox hoodii, commonly called spiny phlox or carpet phlox, is a species of phlox. It is native to western North America, where it is a common flower in sagebrush areas, growing mostly in dry lithosol habitats. It is one of the first plants to bloom in spring, after snow melts. Its distribution ranges from Alaska to Arizona, and it has many subspecies. This perennial herb has variable morphology, but it usually forms a tight mat or loose clump low to the ground. Short stems grow from a woody taproot and caudex unit, and the entire plant does not grow more than 13 centimeters (5 inches) tall. It produces many tiny, sharp-pointed leaves arranged oppositely, barely over one centimeter (1⁄3 inch) long. The above-ground herbage is hairy, with hairs ranging from short to long, and texture from woolly to cobwebby. It looks almost mosslike before it blooms. Its inflorescence consists of a single solitary flower, which comes in shades of white, pink, or blue. The flower has a tubular throat around one centimeter (1⁄3 inch) long that opens out into a flat five-lobed corolla.
