Coneflowers: The Best of the Best

Confused by the endless options? Our expert sifts through this genus to reveal the top performers

When I started instruct horticulturein the 1980s , there was a love affair going on with coneflowers ( Echinaceaspp . and cvs . ) . There were a handful of tried - and - rightful cultivars to choose from , but works stock breeder were just commence to research the possibility of extend the coneflower pallet . In 1989 , Allan Armitage ’s second edition ofHerbaceous Perennial Plantslisted a walloping 12 cultivar . Fast - forward to 2010 : Armitage ’s third version lists 34 coneflower cultivar . A slew of new varieties are introduced each year , and no one , include me , can keep up .

When it comes to the varieties of coneflowers out there , you could classify each as an “ oldie ” or a “ entrant . ” Many of the senior cultivars have proven their deserving , with ‘ Magnus ’ being the gilded criterion . But some new varieties are deserving strain , too . These exciting selections volunteer a startling world of unlike color , manikin , and sizes . Until you are sure of how stalwart these new coneflowers are in your region , only buy one plant and trial it . I have speak to author all across the country , and I still have n’t get a consensus on which novel varieties operate in a given area and which ones do n’t .

By the time you show this article , there are indisputable to be many more coneflowers on the market to opt from . But when you ’re shop at at greenhouse this year , commend : All humankind are created adequate , but not all coneflower are .

A unique, understated beauty

Name:Pink coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Size:2 to 3 foot marvellous and 2 feet wide

For those who require a coneflower that looks like no other , try pink coneflower . It is aboriginal to western prairie but thrives in ironical , open spaces throughout Zones 4 to 8 . pinkish coneflower has dismal cone and droop petals , is widely adaptable to different soil types , and has better drouth tolerance than other coneflowers . aboriginal Americans even used this species for medicinal purposes . When small fry cheat off the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s to pick wild flower for their mothers , it ’s more than likely that they returned with a fistful of these flowers .

Small stature and standout blooms

Name:‘Meringue’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Meringue’)

Size:18 to 20 column inch tall and all-encompassing

gardener go gaga for ‘ Meringue ’ because it look so different . This is a short coneflower with creamy , light yellow – green flowers . The top looks like a pommy - pommy surrounded by single petals at the base . This plant is exceptionally sturdy . Although the bloom are small than other double - flowered cultivars , there are heaps of them and they track the flora throughout most of the summer .

Kooky coloring gives these cones an edge

Name:‘Tiki Torch’ coneflower (E.‘Tiki Torch’)

Size:3 feet tall and 2 feet broad

Name:‘Merlot’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Merlot’)

Size:30 inches tall and wide of the mark

The title to celebrity for many of the new coneflowers on the market is their unconvincing hue . ‘ Merlot ’ has turgid pinkish prime , an orangish cone , and striking black stems in early summer . ‘ Tiki Torch ’ bluster braggy orange blossom that retain their color in the warmth , unlike other pumpkin - colored coneflowers . ‘ Tomato Soup ’ is a brilliant red . For those who like the “ wow ” broker in their beds , these option are arrant .

Toughness is this plant’s middle name

Name:‘Pica Bella’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Pica Bella’)

Size:2 feet marvelous and wide

From 2007 to 2009 , the Mt. Cuba Center in Greenville , Delaware , trialed 48 different coneflowers and evaluated their performance . While the cultivar ‘ Pica Bella ’ did not resist out as being unique in the look section , it held up the best in rut and drouth . It is comfortable to get and extremely vigorous , imprint a sturdy vase pattern that call for no staking .

The best characteristics from all the contenders

Name:Mango Meadowbrite™ coneflower (E.‘CBG Cone 3’)

Jim Ault , whom I consider the “ Merlin of Echinaceas , ” practices his magic at the Chicago Botanic Garden . The first year that I visited him and learn the coneflower there , I was speechless . orange and yellow — antecedently unheard of in the coneflower world — abounded . They were a mixing of the speciesE. purpurea , E. paradoxa , andE. tennessensis , with the best traits of all three including large cones , foresighted flower petal , medium size of it , and winter daring . The result was the Meadowbrite ™ series , which unwrap the colour code of coneflowers and includes the now - famous Mango Meadowbrite ™ . This cultivar has slightly fragrant , peach - imbue blooms that bend downward . This plant look best in a naturalistic setting .

Its sweet smell will put a smile on your face

Name:‘Fragrant Angel’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Fragrant Angel’)

We all know that coneflower have beautiful blossoms , but only a prime few are scented , too . Of these , ‘ Fragrant Angel ’ is my preferent because its scent is not overpowering ; it smell like sweet perfume . The tall , vigorous plant are strongly branched and bloom copiously all summertime long . The whitened blossoms last especially long in cut - prime bouquet .

•••Supernew alternative :

The fragrant cultivar ‘ Virgin ’ may bend out to be a challenger to replace ‘ Fragrant Angel ’ . Its long - lasting blooms are blank with a green center .

Behemoth blossoms set this one apart

Name:Big Sky™ Harvest Moon coneflower (E.‘Matthew Saul’)

Size:24 to 30 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches broad

The Big Sky ™ series of coneflowers is jazz for its prominent - bloom cultivars . My pet is Harvest Moon . Its yellow petals , amber cone , and wonderful citrusy feeling appeal to me . Each bloom can be up to 3 inches wide . The dense plants will rebloom even without deadheading . There are other cultivar in this series — in shades of magenta , orangish - violent , burnt orange tree , and fortunate purple — but Harvest Moon contain its color well throughout the time of year , so it ’s my pick of the bunch .

Who says short can’t be showy?

Name:‘Kim’s Knee High’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Kim’s Knee High’)

Size:1 to 2 feet grandiloquent and all-encompassing

The first really unretentive coneflower was ‘ Kim ’s Knee High ’ . Although its lustiness was a job when it was enter old age ago , the kinks have now been worked out , and it is a must - have for smaller spots . The plant is squatty and compendious , and it wo n’t flop over under its own weighting .

‘ reddened Knee High ’ is the raw add-on to this grouping of shorties and has dark Battle of Magenta blooms .

A delicious double that looks like a scoop of ice cream

Name:‘Pink Double Delight’ purple coneflower (E. purpurea‘Pink Double Delight’)

masses think that a duple - blossomed coneflower attend like either a pleasant-tasting sparkler ointment cone or a badminton birdie , depending on whether they love it or hate it . Most gardeners are enamored with these pompon , so they are great sellers . ‘ Pink Double Delight ’ is popular because the plant is compact , produces slews of blooms , and has exceptional hardiness . To me , it depend like a pink mum . Although it is not my cup of tea , I would never stop anyone from purchasing what he or she likes . After all , beauty is in the middle of the beholder .

The ABCs of Coneflowers

Echinaceaspp . and cvs .

USDA Hardiness Zones:3 to 9

A.Keep the conditions consistent

Coneflowers are bad industrial plant aboriginal to the westerly prairies . They adapt well to drought , heat , and a bit of unlike soil types . Most are hardy throughout the country and thrive in full sunshine . When pushed into too much tincture , they incline to stretch and get long-shanked . Coneflowers begrudge overwatering , so be sure to engraft them in well - drained soil . The prime of some cultivar naturally droop — but that ’s their habit , so do n’t assume the industrial plant demand water . Wet foundation will result in putrefaction and a quick , certain death .

B.Watch out for one disease

Consistent circumstance will help you annul aster yellowness disease , which cause disfigured or discolored efflorescence . This disease is primarily transmitted by leafhoppers and can become widespread in cool , crocked summers . If a plant becomes infect , remove it immediately and put it in the trash — not on the compost chain reactor .

C.Don’t be alarmed by their short life span

The sad fact is that most coneflowers do not live for a farsighted time . Perhaps it ’s because they drop so much energy each year to flower so prolifically . Most of those listed here are what I think to be long - lived , think of they will puzzle around for at least three age . you may improve a coneflower ’s chances for a long life by ensuring proper drainage and providing some winter protection . But if your zone receive a longsighted , cold-blooded , wet winter , you’re able to probably kiss your coneflowers good - bye and say hello to a few new I .

D.Allow them to self-sow

Do n’t be deter by the light life expectancy of coneflowers because they make up for it . If you leave the seedpods in position at the end of the season , you ’ll get plenty of baby the following year and the birds will have a go at it you for it .

How to Use Your Coneflowers

You ca n’t put just any coneflower anywhere . The size and growth wont of a devote cultivar largely prescribe where it should be planted because you want to stress the best attributes , while at the same sentence skillfully mask its not - so - cracking trait .

Short and squat

If you nestle dwarf varieties , like ‘ Kim ’s Knee High ’ , in between two ho - hum shrubs or perennial , the dynamic of the combination switches from blue to fab .

Midsize with bare legs

Average - size of it coneflower , like ‘ Pica Bella ’ , lean to be vase forge and , therefore , have sparse bases . Be sure to plant a fluffy , low - growing companion in front of these coneflower so that their skinny tail are concealed .

Tall and wispy

This is the hard coneflower shape to work with . magniloquent coneflower , like ‘ Tomato Soup ’ , need to have a mass ( like a group of ornamental grasses or a perennial with dense foliage ) plant behind them so that they can stand out .

Stephanie Cohen is know across the garden world as the “ Perennial Diva . ” Each twelvemonth , she trials raw plants in her Pennsylvania garden so that she can save the rest of us from purchase plants destined for the compost heap .

The undermentioned chain armour - order industrial plant seller offer the widest excerpt of the coneflowers feature :

illustration : Martha Garstang Hill

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