Jeanne, interesting matter.

I wouldn't go with "blue" for phlox 'Laura' or 'Little Laura', but would recognize "purple with white eye" To me it's a reddish or even pinkish purple and the eye isn't well defined.

I don't think this is just a matter of individual perceptual differences, though perhaps 'Laura' has a colour range not seen with soil conditions here (either at time of purchase or with subsequent planting).

It is interesting, and I think it all boils down to perception.

Just like the famous ‘dress challange’ that was such a hit a few years back. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it was a striped dress that people perceived differently in color. Some saw it as white and gold while other saw blue and black. Very interesting to say the least.

I found a couple pics of Laura and I agree that it is a difficult color to describe. It most likely would perceived in many colors.

laura is the dark one

And mid left

I perceive it as a purple fuschia color...

Maybe the soil was more acidic at the other place.

First photo is Laura now in NJ. Second is the one I planted from the nursery 3 days ago and you can still see some of the blue flowers among the pink. Last is Laura in Vermont - really blue

Second ‘blue’ you see is the ‘spent’ blooms. Most likely caused from the stress at the nursery

Third one I see purple..not blue.

Different perception....

Here is the dress I mentioned. I’m curious...what colors do you see?

Actually, what I meant to say is, maybe the soil is more acidic at the new place.

They seem happy in your garden even if the color won't settle down!

I would say the first and last are Laura, the middle picture probably is but often big grower container grown perennials are all hyped up on hormones and fertilizer that they don't look and grow quite normally in regards to height, branching, and color. I'm just thinking that my Laura never shows that large a white blaze in the center...

Camera and perception can be very big factors, but some phlox go through major color changes depending on growing conditions. 'Laura' can lose the red part of the purple as it fades and appear more blue but temperatures also effect the starting color.

Rachel Kane of Perennial Pleasures in Vermont sells and grows a ton of phlox, and if you browse her website you'll see her call these phlox 'changelings' due to the way they may start the day one color and then change as the day warms up. It's actually very interesting to see a blue phlox in the morning and then a purple at noon! 'Blue Paradise' is one that changes after a cool morning.

A Hot spell may also change the color significantly. Hot weather will make most phlox produce paler flowers with less distinct centers. It's not until the heat breaks that the newer flowers will open in the darker shade. 'Blue Spot' does this in my garden. Here it is at the end of June when we were in the 90's with plenty of humidity and drying soil. (there's also a white phlox to the right and behind)

Here's the same plant this morning. It's been rainy and only up to 80ish for the last few days.' (obviously the white phlox has gotten a little sloppier over the last month)

Still beige and blue for me.

Very interesting Katob. Had only first heard about 'changelings" a couple of days ago.

Did a bit of reading on-line; the phlox pages in the current Perennial Pleasures Nursery catalogue provided the most information. It's interesting that all the changelings identified involve more or less purple and blue.

The catalogue does not include Nicky (= 'Düsterlohe') as a changeling, but says that it's colour is "the very darkest of purples, a solid deep rich plum". On the other hand, I'd read some time ago that Nicky itself showed flower colour changes in a systematic way according to changes in the lighting conditions. On the other hand, we have a number of established Nicky plants and I've never been able to see such systematic colour changes, though I'm now going to have another try.

We did have 'Amethyst', identified as a changeling, but it never did particularly well in our garden. I do prefer, however, bolder flower colours in our garden phlox

Found the dress colour illusion quite engaging.

Feel better after reading the following!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2015/feb/27/science-thedress-colour-illusion-the-dress-blue-black-gold-white

I have some blue phlox, not purple, blue. However, it depends upon the temperature what color the blooms will be - blue when temps are cooler, pink when temps are warmer.

ETA: I Googled blue phlox to find my variety and the closest was one called "Blue Paradise", which they label as a "violet blue". So not a true blue I guess.

Some of those blue phlox give me trouble. Rouge has a clump of 'Blue Paradise' that always looks great, flowers well and is sturdy, but mine always looks anemic, can't stand up straight to save itself, and seems nearly dead by the end of the year. It always flowers heavily though, so go figure.

Nicky never changes for me. I love the color anyway so that's absolutely fine, the only time I see it do anything unusual is sometimes the flowers get white streaks and marks. But that's also not even a big enough deal to distract me.

interesting comment, kabob, re your experience with blue phlox.

I had little success with our only 'Blue Paradise'. On the other hand, I must have planted around ten 'Boy Boy' which all tended to linger at the best. The only thing I can think of is that besides a lack of vigour, I planted them towards the back of perennial beds (height) so they didn't get enough sunlight. I find, that if attention is paid to water needs, phlox do very well in our sun.

As you say, Rouge has a nice clump of 'Blue Paradise'. Am assuming it's some thing to to with the growing conditions in it's precise location.

I guess an exception re the blues, for me, is Flame Series Blue and Violet, which have done well over the last several years. Generally, they're planted close to the sunny front of the beds (height). Their branching also draws attention.

Interesting speculation re flower colour change and ambient temperature.

https://jeansgarden.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/blue-is-a-cool-color/

Re digital pictures of plants and relying, and not, on the automatic setting of the white balance function (at least my camera).

Phlox paniculata Nicky around 8.30 a.m., last Saturday, with cloudy conditions.

Sunnyborders, I read your link and I believe that is exactly what is happening. This morning temperature was in the low 70s and "Laura" was more blue than my first posted photo. So it makes sense that in Vermont, she was more blue than pink. Thank you all for your help.