Collectors Can’t Resist Me
Perennial of the Week: Echinacea – ‘Coneflower’
If there is one perennial that brings out the collector in every gardener, it would have to be Echinacea (Coneflower). Echinacea purprea, our native Coneflower, adds so much to a garden, including height, structure, texture, and color by the bushel! Other species of Echinacea including E. pallida, E. tennesseensis, and E. angustifolia add beauty to the garden and have been “crossed” to produce many new and exciting Coneflowers in an array of colors. Purple and pink may be the best-known varieties, but new hybrids also bloom in white, yellow, orange, red, and even a funky pale green. Some varieties produce fancy double blossoms in pale pink and peach hues.
There are dwarf/compact varieties of Echinacea such as “Pixie Meadowbrite” that only grows to 18” tall, making it perfect for the foreground of the garden.
Each flower consists of long, slender, colorful petals surrounding a spiny seed head that gives the Coneflower its name. Each long-lasting bloom will look equally beautiful outside in the garden or indoors as part of a cut flower arrangement. However, if you leave your flowers outside, they will attract a host of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Songbirds, especially the American Goldfinch, find Coneflower seeds delectable. Keep an eye out for these golden gems (New Jersey’s state bird) as they land on the plants and tease the seeds from the flowers.
Humans also ingest Echinacea, which has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries. Native Americans used Echinacea to treat coughs and sore throats. It is currently used to treat cold and flu symptoms and skin rashes.
Gardeners appreciate this hardy, sun-loving plant’s ability to tolerate drought and most varieties’ propensity for spreading in the garden bed.
Our extensive selection of Coneflower includes multiple varieties that are grown right here! You’ll find them in our Rohsler’s Grown containers. Some varieties that are in their prime right now include “Tomato Soup,” which has beautiful red flowers, and “Solar Flare,” which exhibits magenta colored blooms.
