Plant of the Week Echinacea Coneflower

 Why Echinacea/Coneflowers? They are standouts in the perennial garden! I've had one blooming in a pot next to my patio since late June. The color is a remarkable orange/red.

Years ago, when I first started at Valley View Farms, Echinaceas were available in purple and white. The coneflowers were shaped like a badminton birdie, with a very pronounced golden center. Breeders have worked with the plant for decades for color, disease resistance, and flower shape.

Terra Nova Echinacea Kismet Intense Orange
(Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries)

 One breeder, Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries, has created hybrids in orange, pink, red, yellow and rose to name a few. The award winning plants are sold in nurseries like ours throughout the nation. The daisy-like flowers may still have the cone shape or may have a flatter presentation. 

Echinaceas are wonderful pollinators. Mt. Cuba Center has performed long-time studies of Echinaceas as pollinators in their trials in Pennsylvania. The Echinacea 'Fragrant Angel', a white variety, was the number one pollinator-visited plant in a campus full of pollinator -attracting plants. 

Fragrant Angel photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center

Bees and butterflies love Coneflowers

Coneflowers tend to be deer-resistant. That's important in my home garden that sees deer as regular browsers in the garden.

Stop in total a look at these native beauties.They prefer full sun, well-drained soil and are surprisingly long bloomers. And, as a bonus, they are beautiful cut-flowers.