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Phlox - around Asheville, you'll find plenty of it, but which species? Once, a passing hiker asked me "Which Phlox species is that?" and I could not provide a definitive answer. According to my main reference (RAB), there are at least 10 Phlox species in Buncombe County, and several more growing nearby. Phlox is one of the hardest to identify by species, and several species are suspected of intermingling. I decided, for better or worse, that the tall Phlox you are likely to see during late summer at low or mid elevations is probably Phlox carolina or maculata or a cross between the two, based on plant height, leaf characteristics,blooming time, and general concurrence between different book sources. If you happen to be at high elevation (5000 feet or more) in late spring to midsummer, you are probably seeing Phlox ovata. I welcome anyone's comments or disagreements on this one.