Unusual Coneflowers For Butterfly Gardens
Echinacea Purpurea for Fragrant Gardens in Many Colors and Forms
Mar 18, 2009
The coneflower is primarily a prairie plant, native in the Midwest and eastern sections of the United States. It grows in full sun and is a nectar source for butterflies. In recent years, new Echinacea purpurea cultivar names have become more unusual, along with the flower’s forms and blossom colors.
Echinacea with Scented Flowers
The species Echinacea purpurea is not frequently found on lists of fragrant flowers. But new types of coneflowers are appropriate to plant in a scented garden.
Echinacea ‘Evan Saul’ better known as Sundown™ has a rose scent. The plant grows 30” - 36” tall and gets 24” wide. The short petals are bright orange but faintly tipped with yellow.
Echinacea ‘Katie Saul’ Summer Sky™ is the first coneflower to have bi-colored blooms, rose and peach turning darker towards the center. The flowers are the most fragrant of the Big Sky™ series developed by the Saul family. The large plant gets 21/2’ – 3’ tall and 2’ wide.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel’ has white flowers and a bright yellow cone giving off an intense clover scent. The blooms continue flowering summer through fall. This short plant would fit well in a small garden because it grows to 20” tall and 24” wide.
Small Coneflowers
The plant size considered for correctly siting an Echinacea purpurea is 2’ to 4’ tall and 2‘ wide. Small spaced gardens work better planted with shorter, more compact coneflower plants.
Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’ is appropriate for a small space garden. The flower has short greenish-white outer petals and a large flat lime green cone. The plant grows 20” – 24” tall and 12” – 18” wide.
Echinacea ‘Mac N’ Cheese’ has multiple blossoms of long bright yellow petals and a yellowish green cone. The compact plant grows to 24” tall and 18” wide.
Echinacea With Unusual Flower Forms
The straight species is traditionally a purplish colored flower. The ring of petals droops down or stands out and has a dark center cone. These new Echinacea purpurea cultivars will provide variety in a flower garden:
- ‘Pink Poodle’ has double blooms reminding gardeners of cactus dahlias. The 4” diameter flowers have pink petals and small reddish yellow centers. However, the long lasting blooms require space to grow. The plant ranges from 28” – 32” tall and 24” – 30” wide when full grown.
- ‘Coconut Lime’ has a large light green pompon and a brownish cone surrounded by white reflected petals that flower middle to late summer. It grows 24” – 30” tall and 18” – 24” wide.
- A very large but still unusual coneflower is ‘Green Envy’™ that can grow 36” tall and 30” – 36” wide. Flower petals are lime green but rosy at the center, increasingly turning pink with age. This Echinacea has a large flat cone that is light and dark green then gradually turns a deep purple.
How to Plant and Care for Coneflowers
Coneflowers should be planted in well draining soil but will survive in hot dry conditions. Echinacea is drought tolerant only after becoming well established in the garden. Good spacing is important to provide air circulation helping to maintain plant health. Gardeners should deadhead flowers because this will foster reblooming.
Echinacea plants are drought tolerant plants that attract pollinators such as butterflies to a flower garden. The many new cultivars offer more flexibility for gardeners to consider.
For gardeners looking for more garden ideas consider:
Sustainable Plant Community for Small Gardens.
Grow Baptisia Geranium Calamintha and Sporobolus.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
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