Growing Coneflowers

Coneflowers are one of the best perennials for the mid south. Also known as Echinacea purpurea, it now comes in a variety of colors and shapes with great names like 'Razzmatazz' and 'Sparkler'.

These perennial gems are a must for any garden that has 6 to 8 hours of sunshine a day. The less sun you give them, the fewer blooms they will have.

Another plus for having these in your garden is that they are very drought tolerant. They really don't like to have their feet wet for very long.

This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and birds (especially yellow finches).

Growing Conditions

• Growth 24-36 in (60-90cm)2 ft. wide
• Bloom Time July to August
• Soil Well Drained. Drought tolerant. Likes 6.6 to 8.5
• Sun Exposure Full Sun, or Sun to Partial Shade
• Pests None
• Cold Hardiness USDA Zones 3 to 9
• Heat-Tolerant AHS Zones 8 to 1
• Propagation
• Reseeds easily if bloom is left on the plant. May divide the rootball, can be started from seed by direct sowing outdoors in the fall. Propagation of the Big Sky Series is strictly prohibited.
• Seed Collecting Allow the seedheads to dry on the plants; remove and collect seeds, clean, and store.
• Uses Wards of colds and flu.

New Varieties-Big Sky Variety

• 'Rocky Top Hybrids' Spidery petals and narrow leaves. Flowers are on thin wiry stems and tend to follow the sun during the day just like sunflowers do. Grows to 24".
• 'Sunrise' Butter-yellow petals. Starts out green and turns gold as the flower matures. Light fragrance when touched. Part of the Big Sky series which includes 'Harvest Moon', 'Twilight', 'Sunset' and 'Sundown'. Available in shades of orange and yellow. Grows to 36" tall.
• 'Sparkler' Looks much like a typical coneflower, but leaves have bits of cream and white that tends to turn greener in the heat of summer. May grow slower that regular coneflowers. Grows 28 to 36 inches tall.

• 'Jade' Has white petals and green center. Green-tinged undersides are exposed as the flower matures and the head droops. Grows 24 to 32 inches tall.
• 'Razzmatazz' A softer, fuzzier coneflower. Instead of the typical cone in the center, this center is covered with tiny pink flower petals. These heads are heavy, so plant in full sun because plenty of light will keep the stems strong. Grows 30 to 36 inches tall.
• 'Doppelganger' This is a doubledecker coneflower. It has two tiers of of petals. The first year or two, the heads may be single blooms like regular flowers, but after that they will be covered with these funny looking doulbedecker blooms. Grows 40" tall.
• 'Vintage Wine' With a name like that you can expect these petals to be a rich, deep wine color. The petals on this flower point straight out instead of pointing down. Grows 30 to 36 inches tall.
• 'Orange Meadowbrite' ('Art's Pride') and Mango Meadowbrite. One of the first new nonpink coneflowers. These are popular and sometimes hard to find. Slightly fragrant. The Mango Meadowbrite has a honeysuckle scent. Grows 30 to 36 inches tall.

Pictured here on the left is a non-purple variety that we like named 'Harvest Moon'.


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