Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Landscaping Tips

New Echinaceas
Nearly everyone is familiar with and fond of the Purple Coneflower, or Echinacea purpurea.

Some facts you may already know about Purple Coneflower: It is Native to the Eastern U.S.; it varies in height from two-to-four feet, 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.” It can withstand drought and heat well, has a long bloom time beginning early summer, and is a favorite of butterflies.

But let’s face it, the common Purple Coneflower is everywhere and has lost some of its allure as a result. Some breeding and new cultivars have been introduced over the years, producing more compact plants and even white flowered cultivars. A few nice additions to the Genus but nothing too exciting, that is until now.

This year, Echinacea has taken center stage with some new and distinct cultivars. Recent breeding and experimentation have produced Coneflowers with yellow and orange flowers. Chicagoland Grows™ Series has introduced Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ (yellow) and ‘Mango Meadowbrite’ (orange). A similar introduction is the Big Sky™ Series, which includes Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ (yellow) and ‘Sunset’ (orange). In addition to the flower color, both series offer fragrance and vigorous growth.

Early evaluation of these new cultivars indicates the flower petals of the Chicagoland Grows™ Series seem more reflexed, while the Big Sky™ Series are generally flatter and spread further, a trait more typical of E. purpurea.

In my experience, the Big Sky™ Series is more readily available, and a local wholesale nursery has experienced greater hardiness with this series. Echinacea ‘Sunset’ has the more unusual flower – it appears as a two-tone pink and orange while opening. Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ is the more vigorous of the two but then flowers tend to fade to white in the hot sun. All 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 are ready for something a little different, try Echinacea tennesseensis ‘Rocky Top.’ The leaves are a narrower, fuzzy gray on shorter plants, featuring 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.

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340