Download 2005 Busy Year for Beautification Program

Horticulture Columns
By Lisa Metcalf
Horticulturist, City of Upper Arlington
Fabulous New Coneflowers Hit the Market
Nearly everyone is familiar with Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower). What you may already know about
Purple Coneflower is that it’s Native to the Eastern U.S., varies in height from 2-4’ with spreading purple/pinkish
flower petals held below stout prickly flower heads on sturdy upright stems. This common perennial has a wide
zonal hardiness range of 3-8, withstands drought and heat very well, has a very long bloom time starting in early
to mid summer, and is a butterfly favorite. But let’s face it, common purple coneflower is everywhere and has
become a bore. Some breeding and new cultivars have been introduced over the years have produced more
compact plants and even white flowered cultivars. A few nice additions to the Genus but nothing exciting, until
now.
This year, Echinacea has taken center stage with several new and very distinct cultivars. Recent breeding and
experimentation has produced Coneflowers with yellow and orange flowers. Chicagoland Grows ™ Series
introduced Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ (yellow) and ‘Mango Meadowbrite’ (orange). Another similar introduction is the
Big Sky ™ Series, which includes Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ (yellow) and ‘Sunset’ (orange). In addition to the flower
color, both series are supposed to offer fragrance and vigorous growth.
Early evaluation of these new cultivars indicates that the flower petals of the Chicagoland Grows ™ Series seem
more reflexed, where the Big Sky ™ Series are generally flatter and more spreading; more typical of E. purpurea.
In my experience, the Big Sky ™ Series has been far more readily available. In fact, a local wholesale nursery
has experienced greater hardiness with the Big Sky ™ Series. Echinacea ‘Sunset’ has the more unusual flower
that almost appears two tone pink and orange as it opens. Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ seems to be the more vigorous of
the two but the flowers do tend to fade to white in the hot sun. All seem to have a slight fragrance, but it
doesn’t knock you down. Look for Echinacea ‘Twilight’ and ‘Sundown’ (both, a more vivid burnt orange) to be
released this fall or next spring. If you still like the rosy purple but would like something a little different try
Echinacea tennesseensis ‘Rocky Top’. The leaves are a narrower fuzzy gray on shorter plants, with narrow flower
petals with upturned tips that are produced until a hard frost. If you like the bizarre, try Echinacea ‘Double
Decker’, a mutant that produces upside-down flower petals on top of the flower heads.
These new cultivars have been long awaited and are wildly popular. You can find Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ outside the
main entrance of our new Reed Road Water Park and in the new garden at Northam Park. They are now
available through your local retail garden centers. If you hurry, it’s not too late to plant them yet this year.