Once upon a time, the coneflower (Echinacea) had pretty white or light purplish-pink blooms. Then someone discovered a yellow one. Next arrived a dwarf variety. Now the range of colors, sizes and flower forms seem almost endless, meaning there’s an Echinacea for everyone!
As its name implies, ‘Pink Double Delight’ coneflower is a true delight in the garden.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of AB Cultivars, Netherlands
Try Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’ for a deep pumpkin-orange touch to your garden.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
The gorgeous double-flowering ‘Coconut Lime’ coneflower adds a whole new dimension to any Echinacea collection.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of AB Cultivars, Netherlands
Echinacea ‘Raspberry Tart’ produces lots of deep magenta blooms throughout summer.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
Expect lots of color from Crazy Pink™ coneflower!
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Itsaul Plants
Due to their ability to thrive in harsh climates and their drought tolerance (once established), coneflowers have long been a favorite of gardeners. Butterflies love them, too, and hummingbirds are known to feed on the nectar. It’s no wonder why this disease-resistant, easy-to-grow perennial caught the interest of plant breeders around the world. They’ve come a long way over the past few years, with a range of flower coloring that grows more fascinating every spring. In fact, the last I counted, there were more than 40 named varieties of Echinacea on the market. Here are a few new ones:
Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Double Delight’ is an exuberant, compact (yet full) plant that gives endless months of beautiful pink to bright rose-colored blooms. This is the first release of the Confections Series, and it’s a superior, fully double pink. (The Confections Series is introduced to North America from Plants Nouveau, an organization that helps bring new plants to market in the US and Canada.)
Blooming starts midsummer, and the show continues through fall. I’ve had reports of ‘Pink Double Delight’ blooming like mad in mid-October as far north as USDA Hardiness Zone 5. (This cultivar far surpasses the double pink forerunner ‘Razzmatazz’ that brought much disappointment to gardeners and growers everywhere.) Pairing ‘Pink Double Delight’ with ‘Black and Blue’ salvia (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’) is definitely a winning combination, or add some ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis (Coreopsis verticllata ‘Moonbeam’) to the foreground for a sunny vignette.
The second Confections Series release is the first double white coneflower ever! Echinacea purpurea ‘Coconut Lime’ is a nicely compact, very hardy Echinacea that blooms for weeks and weeks. Combine both ‘Pink Double Delight’ and ‘Coconut Lime’ and you’re in for a real treat! You’ll be delighted with the stunning combo of prolonged blooms. Imagine this new white double around a Summer Wine ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Seward’) with ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’) in the foreground. Beautiful!
There’s also Crazy Pink™ coneflower (Echinacea ‘Adam Saul’), which lends a whole new meaning to the term “flower power.” A 1-year-old plant is reported to have an amazing 110 blooms at once! A compact new garden star with good lateral branching, Crazy Pink is amazingly full – not leggy like some of the older coneflower varieties. This selection would be lovely with baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) behind it and ‘Samantha’ bellflower (Campanula ‘Samantha’) bordering the front of it.
Orange was a color breakthrough for coneflower breeders several years ago, though it’s still one of the less predominant flower hues available. Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’ is the darkest orange to date. The huge pumpkin-orange blooms can add a real dash of pizzazz to the midsummer garden. The plants are well-branched, vigorous growers with a clumping, upright shape. Pair it up with some Royal Candles speedwell (Veronica spicata ‘Glory’) in front of the exotic Tropicanna® canna (Canna ‘Phasion’) for a knock-your-socks-off designer look.
For a well-branched perennial with tasty magenta blooms, try Echinacea ‘Raspberry Tart’. A dwarf in a family that averages at least 2½ feet tall, this scented bloomer will really make a statement toward the front of your border, in a container garden or planted in masses. Try ‘Raspberry Tart’ in a planter along with Diamond Frost® euphorbia, ‘Tricolor’ sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Tricolor’) and ‘Obsidian’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Obsidian’) off to the side for a very classy patio container.
With all the new varieties available – and more on the horizon each season – it certainly seems true: Gardeners are about to get coneflower crazy…if they haven’t already!
