'Opening Act Ultrapink' Hybrid Phlox Phlox hybrid

I was really disappointed with this plant in a zone 7 mid-summer and left a review to say so, but then it rallied and bloomed until November! Which is to say that it's entirely worth the mid-summer doldrums. I'd delete my previous review if only PW allowed....

I've had success with other Proven Winners plants, but at mid-summer, this one rates as a mistake and disappointment. The color isn't even close to what is prominently pictured--in real life here in Zone 7 the color is much paler and less distinct. And the further dealbreaker is that the plant needs deadheading if you don't want a phlox whose main features by June are brown crispy spent flowers.

I saw this plant at Lowe’s and thought it had the most beautifully colored blooms. Unfortunately it was the last one left in its color, so I may not have gotten the best of the selection. I also bought two others in “pink-a-dot.” My experience with the differently colored plants of the same type of phlox varies greatly, despite being planted in the same spot and being cared for equally. One of the “pink-a-dots” is thriving. Its flowers lasted the longest and its leaves look the healthiest. The other “pink-a-dot,” however, turned brown, shriveled up, and dried out almost immediately after planting it. It looked like I had lit it on fire. I suspect that my dog peed on it. SO, if you have dogs (particularly male dogs), be warned that this plant can not tolerate dog urine at all. I cut it all back almost to the ground. On the upside, though, it IS starting to produce the tiniest bit of new (bright green!) growth at the base. So it seems like the roots weren’t totally fried. The “ultra pink” falls somewhere in the middle in terms of performance. It looked pretty nice in the container, but once I planted it, most of the blooms wilted and expired and many of the leaves turned brown and crispy. I’ve tried to remove all of the crispy brown leaves in an attempt to prevent whatever the problem is from spreading and it seems to help a little. Still, the leaves are much more yellow-toned than the “pink-a-dot” that is doing well. It’s only June and it seems like the initial set of blooms on these plants was early (May). I’m hoping I get another round of blooms through the summer but am not seeing much evidence that this will occur.