Excerpt of Coneflowers: An American Classic By Kim Hawks

Once considered weedy, coneflowers are now the darlings of plant breeders and summer mainstays in formal and informal gardens.

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It’s a no-brainer. No garden of mine will ever be without coneflowers (Echinacea spp.). Period. This far-from-ordinary genus of plants brings dependable, long-lasting bloom to gardens in the heat of summer, just in time for July 4th festivities. Some species have flashy hot-pink flowers with iridescent orange centers, while others have more delicate-looking, spidery flowers. These easy-to-grow, drought- and heat-tolerant perennials are butterfly magnets, make great long-lasting cut flowers, and provide seedhead snacks for goldfinches. Some species have medicinal properties to boot.

Given all these positive characteristics, it’s hard to fathom that as recently as a couple of decades ago, coneflowers were widely considered weedy wildflowers in their native land. As with other American natives, it was Europeans who started the process of “civilizing” them. German plant breeders developed some early cultivars, such as Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubinstern’ (‘Ruby Star’), in the late 1960s, and shortly thereafter European landscape designers began using dramatic masses of coneflowers in the naturalistic design style that came into vogue in the 1970s and ’80s.

American gardeners and designers soon embraced this trend, and coneflowers surged in popularity in the 1990s. Recognizing their garden potential, plant breeders have stepped up work on coneflowers over the last decade. The result is dozens of new coneflowers in compact forms, with bright new flower colors, and even variegated foliage (for more on breeding programs and new cultivars, see box on page 33).

All-American Genus

Part of the aster family (Asteraceae), the genus Echinacea is native exclusively to North America; its eight species are primarily found in eastern and midwestern regions of the United States. All have a prominent central cone—composed of bracts and disc flowers—encircled by a ring of petals (ray flowers) that range from dark rose-purple to white and yellow. The generic name, Echinacea, comes from the Greek word for “hedgehog,” echinos, which refers to the sharp, pointed bracts on the cone. Coneflowers grow best in sunny, well-drained locations and are perfectly suited to perennial borders, prairie gardens, and wildflower meadows. They grow effortlessly in lean soils and don’t require rich amendments or fertilizers.

The matriarch of the family is purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, USDA Zones 3–8, AHS Zones 9–1), the species most gardeners are familiar with. I’ve always had a fondness—really a passion—for purple coneflower, which is indispensable in the perennial border. Part of the popularity and garden success of this species can be attributed to its broad natural distribution, ranging from Pennsylvania to Iowa south through Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee to Georgia and Louisiana.
Purple coneflowers grow three to four feet tall with a two-foot spread and are thickly cloaked in coarsely toothed, bright green leaves. Starting in late June to early July, the plants are covered with flowers that bloom for four weeks in midsummer and then sporadically until frost, especially if deadheaded.

Three notable cultivars that share similar traits include the Perennial Plant Association’s 1998 Perennial of the Year, E. purpurea ‘Magnus’, as well as the cultivars ‘Bravado’ and ‘Bright Star’. ‘Magnus’ sports horizontally-set pink rays that are slightly broader and flare out more than the species. ‘Bravado’ has large four to five inch inflorescences with rosy-red horizontal rays, while ‘Bright Star’ is a dwarf cultivar (two and a half to three and a half feet) with horizontal rose-red rays.
OK, so what’s the difference between these cultivars and the straight species? Not much, in my opinion. I’ve grown ‘Magnus’ and have been quite pleased with its performance, though I tend to like the relaxed, drooping petals of the wild-type better.

I was fortunate enough to be involved in the selection of the first compact cultivars of purple coneflower. E. purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High’, which grows to only 15 to 20 inches, was developed at Niche Gardens and co-introduced in 1999 by Niche and Sunny Border Nurseries. Its shorter stature makes it suitable for small garden spaces. Compact E. purpurea ‘Kim’s Mop Head’, a variant of ‘Kim’s Knee High’, tops out at 18 to 24 inches. Its single, white flowers around a green cone with fringed “mop head” petals that supposedly refer to my “white” frazzled hair. For those of you who enjoy your garden by moonlight, plant ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ along the front of sunny borders or along paths where the pure white flowers illuminate the way.

Photo Credit: 'Kim's Knee High', 'Kim's Mop Head' and 'Orange Meadowbrite' all courtesy of Wayside Gardens.

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