Cone Heads

Picture of Coneflower seed heads in the winter.

Hybrid Coneflower in bloom.

The native Echinacea purpurea or Purple Coneflower is the slightly faded pink seen along Midwest roadsides in late summer. It's in the same family as the daisy.

Coneflowers like those dry, hot, sun baked areas and only need water until established. This makes them perfect for water conservation efforts. It will probably die if it sits in water-clogged clay soil.

Other wildflower cone flowers are:

Pale Purple, Green-Headed Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower (both actually have yellow rays (petals) but the button (middle where the seeds will be) are these colors. The gray has extremely reflexed rays which makes them look like they've been in a wind machine as they are pushed down. Thin-Leaved, Orange, Sweet, and Showy are similar to the Black-eyed Susan with some small variations.

The new hybrids have sensational color (magenta, lime green, orange, cream, gold, red, coral and shades in between. Some are fragrant.

The new shapes are quite varied. Some look like zinnias, others have a flower on top of another flower, others the center is more pronounced than the petals. Heights range from 12 inches to 5 feet.

Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are all over Coneflowers and each little spike on the center button is a source of nectar.

Coneflowers have a long vase life.

They may self seed but will not become invasive. I leave them standing during the winter to provide garden structure and interesting photographs. Birds may eat the seeds in late winter.

The Coneflowers are happy little flowers - meaning they make you smile when in bloom. They are a good companion plant with daylilies and other sun loving plants.

Try to buy only a healthy substantial plant as the survival rate is much better than the small little starts.

__________________________________________

Side Note

Has anyone noticed the price of nursery grown perennials and annuals have increased dramatically this year? On a recent trip to a nursery, smaller tubs were from $9 to $13 each. 4-pack small flats were almost $25. Yikes, that could make the cost of planting a good sized pot over $50. My daughter said her local big-box store prices have increased, also. Not saying their expenses haven't necessitated the price increase, but, I'm guessing it will cut down on sales.