(Coneflower)

Almost every species of Echinacea is ornamental and available in the trade for garden use. All are hardy herbaceous perennials and easy to grow. There are nine species, all North American endemics, and in recent years a bevy of wonderful cultivars have been brought to the fore. All are distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, and the endangered species Echinacea tennesseensis only exists in a three county radius in central Tennessee.

Coneflowers are best known for their large,...

(Hybrid Coneflower)

Crazy Pink coneflower (cultivar 'Adam Saul') is a hardy, prolific perennial that often has dozens upon dozens of flowers open at one time. Its fragrant blooms have a large, orange central disk accentuated by true pink petals that point downward.

Big Sky coneflowers all attract bees and butterflies and provide seeds for hungry birds in the fall and winter months. Use these perennials in flower borders, en masse in landscape beds, in meadow or in a sunny container.

They grow best full to partial...

(Hybrid Coneflower)

Almost every species of Echinacea is ornamental and available in the trade for garden use. All are hardy herbaceous perennials and easy to grow. There are nine species, all North American endemics, and in recent years a bevy of wonderful cultivars have been brought to the fore. All are distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, and the endangered species Echinacea tennesseensis only exists in a three county radius in central Tennessee.

Coneflowers are best known for their large,...

(Hybrid Coneflower, Orange Meadowbrite™ Coneflower)

This beautiful clump-forming perennial was the first orange-colored hybrid coneflower and inspired a flood of new colors to the Echinacea palette. The parents of this hybrid, Echinacea purpurea ’Alba’ and Echinacea paradoxa, are North American in origin and naturally inhabit prairies and grasslands. Orange Meadowbright™ was bred by Jim Ault of The Chicago Botanic Garden.

The plants have semi-glossy lance-shaped green leaves that are sparser than those of purple coneflower....

(Topeka Purple Coneflower)

Topeka purple coneflower has vivid fuchsia to hot pink flower petals that surround a bright orange to brown conical center. Its center, or cone, is massively large and its short petals droop downward giving the flowers the appearance of a plump jellyfish. Like most coneflowers, these blooms are frequented by butterflies and bees, and their dry, seed-filled cones are feasted upon by seed-eating birds. Flowers appear from late-spring to midsummer.

Native to the prairies and open woodlands of south-central...

(Blacksamson, Blacksamson Coneflower)

Blacksamson is an herbaceous perennial with a compact, upright habit. It is native from southern Canada to the southern United States and has hairy stems that arise from a basal cluster of hairy, lance-shaped leaves. In midsummer it bears large flowerheads with an orange to brown central disc, or cone, surrounded by pink or purple petals. A rare white flowered cultivar is also in cultivation. Like most coneflowers, these blooms are frequented by butterflies and bees, and their dry, seed-filled cones...

(Big Sky™ Coneflower, Hybrid Coneflower)

Coneflowers in the Big Sky™ series have fantastic, sweetly fragrant flowers that come in an array of colors. This hybrid series was created from crosses of the common purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea) and the Ozark coneflower ( Echinacea paradoxa ).

Coneflowers grow best full to partial sun and rich to average soil with good drainage. They are not overly water thirsty, but do check to make sure the soil is never too dry. Deadheading spent flowers keeps plants looking clean...

(Hybrid Coneflower)

A compact, prolifically blooming purple coneflower, this Chicago Botanic Garden introduction is a hybrid of three echinacea species. For many weeks in summer, this hardy herbaceous perennial bears medium-sized daisies with perky horizontally held rose-pink petals surrounding a large orange-brown "cone." The blooms draw flocks of butterflies. The petals drop after withering, leaving the seed-bearing cone. The rough, lance-shaped, dark green leaves are narrower than those of "standard" purple coneflowers....

(Hybrid Coneflower, Mango Meadowbrite Coneflower)

Summer is not complete without coneflowers in bloom! The yellow-blooming Mango Meadowbrite™ ('CBG Cone3') has orange-brown center cones that attract butterflies to the flowers and small songbirds to its seeds. Its flowers smell of a light spicy orange fragrance. A member of the Meadowbrite Series™ of coneflowers created at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, this cultivar was discovered as a branch mutation on an 'Art's Pride' (Orange Meadowbrite™) coneflower.

Coneflowers grow best full to partial sun...

(Hybrid Coneflower)

The unusual daisies of the hybrid coneflower, 'Coral Reef', are a real garden standout. Narrow, coral-orange petals surround a prominent puffy center of shorter coral-red petals. This hardy herbaceous perennial was developed at Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oregon.

Coneflowers grow best full to partial sun and average to fertile soil with good drainage. Regular water will result in the healthiest plants, though coneflowers can tolerate short periods of drought. Deadheading spent flowers keeps...