Most, if not all the phlox flowers are short never reaching more than 12 inches high. But they all seem to love spreading out 2 or 3 times their height. They come in an array of colors from pink to purple to blue and red…some varieties even come in multiple colors such as white & red, or white & pink or pink and purple.
If you, by chance, live in or are moving to Texas, you should consider planting the Texas Trailing Phlox (Phlox nivalis). It’s endangered so it needs some love and attention.
For all the green-thumbers of North Jersey, the Phlox lineup offers two species that are awesomely fitting for our climate and conditions. The first is woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata). It is a wonderful lavender flowering plant that grows in shady spaces. It doesn’t get much higher than about a foot, and can withstand clay and dry soil. It also is tolerant to deer and drought. This is a perfect option for shadowy hillsides where tall trees prevail. Once they are established, the woodland will spread allowing new clusters of flowers to spring up every year.

To spice up the subulata, you might consider co-planting a grass or Black-Eyed Susans with it. For the woodland, you might use cardinal flower or even columbine. Columbine isn’t native to the US, but it is naturalized, meaning that it’s not an invasive like knotweed or bamboo.