Echinacea "Hot Summer" is the BEST!

This is the only yellow/orange/red Echinacea I need. It has all the colors on one plant. I have two second year plants and they are better than any other yellow, orange, or red. This is the coneflower I've been wanting all these years. Now I can quit griping about the others and just get more of this one. "Flame Thrower" is good too but the blooms have a tendency to be deformed. "Hot Papaya" was good the first year, but this year didn't return as expected. I think it bloomed itself to death last year. "Hot Summer" is hands down the best of the hybrid Echinaceas in my opinion.

Check out "Hot Summer!"

WOW! Yes that is good. I have some of those plants in gallon and about to plant.
Anticipation is so hard!

That is pretty. I like the different colors. As I'm typing this, I'm wondering if my tomato soup is going to to come back. I have so many coneflowers, I'm not sure if that is one that I pulled because I was trying to cull the herd.

nice... gotta hunt down one of those now!

Hey Clint. The color change is what makes "Hot Summer" so unique. Immediately noticed that last year albeit the color change is a bit different down here. It opens pink and changes to orange. My "Hot Papaya" has returned this year, but its really struggling to become anything. Back to a small sized plant that wants to set buds when its very underdeveloped. I've noticed in the past few years the double pom pom type echinaceas are not as reliable to return for me from year to year. The most reliable has been "Pink Double Delight". Of all the doubles from last year "Milkshake" has come back the strongest.

Jon, I'm amazed that Milkshake has done so well for you. I've planted that one 3 times now. So far, it's never survived the summer even though it was planted with other echies that did fine. I go with Tony Avent's creed that if I've killed it 3 times, then it's not going to be hardy for me.
Looking forward to see if Hot Summer will be as lovely for me as it is in your picture, Clint.

Thanks. Hot Papaya is a dud here. It returned very small. It was so bad that i just removed them. I thought last year it was good, but after it blooms, it seems to struggle to come back the next year.

I won't be buying anymore double blooming Echinaceas. I don't like them as much anyways. I just prefer the daisy style blooms on them.

Another thing I like about Hot Summer is the blooms last a long time.

Really sad to read now that you think Hot Papaya is a dud now that I wasted money on it because of what I read here.

It's good for two years but the third year it declined. I guess we need to grow them for three years to see if they last.

Maybe my specific "Milkshake" Echinacea plant is a strong healthy one Bev. Who knows. Always helps when you have a strong plant to begin with. I'll usually give up after two failed attempts with a specific variety. I give you credit for trying a third time on some.

I loved "Hot Papaya" last year. Too bad others are experiencing the same issues I'm having with it. I do like the doubles just as much as the singles, but am a little more hesitant to spend money on them, when I'm beginning to notice a definite trend in them.

I just went to my local nursery that carries a lot of the newer fancy echs.. they had a handful of these guys but they were all thick single stem versions with a few flower heads forming. They reminded me of the mac n cheese plants that grew the same but never overwintered.

boo!...

These actually are nothing like Mac n Cheese. These actually grow and come back. They also have many branches. Mine has lots of blooms too. I'll post a new photo later. They are over waist high too.

The only plants that don't seem to not overwinter are the ones that are growing just from a single growth point.. a single leader bloom stalk, so there isn't a lot of the basal full leaves at all. The first time i came across this issue was with 2 of the 3 mac n cheeses i have bought in years past. The one i did get that had a full bushy "undergrowth" came back just fine. This year though i moved it in early spring to put in a bog garden.. and can't remember at all where i moved it. I had the same issue with a few of the other varieties too.. so i avoid any of the echs that are growing like this.

I am going to look around to keep an eye for this variety though since it looks like it is doing well for you and a few others. I just won't buy the stock that my local place had to avoid the chance of a repeat mac n cheese.

mac n cheese was a big dud for me also. Also Tiki tourch!

They were both duds for me too. Mac n Cheese was the worst plant I ever tried to grow. Tiki Torch bloomed but never returned after winter. Maui Sunshine was a dud too. Now Cheesier was pitiful too.

Flame Thrower and Hot Summer are the only two of the new colors I'd recommend to anyone.

The my tiki is on it's 3 (or 4th year) now and doing well... tis the same story with some varieties... they work for some folks and not others.

My maui last year was another one last year that did the single stem and the died back to nothing. The now cheesier plug i just got in a group buy has two growth points.. so i am hoping it holds up. Would be nice to get a yellow with the standard purp form that is a strong grower. Paradoxa is nice but a different flower form and early bloomer.

echinaceamanic, like your picture of your Conflower's very nice

echinaceamanic- this is in reply to your May 23rd post. I am crazy about echinaecea! I have spent good money on the Paul Sauls series and many others, only to be very disappointed. 2 years ago, at a fall clearance at Lowes ,I found a stunning echineacea, it was named Hot Summer. I bought it because just as you said, it had all the colors that I wanted in one plant! Well 2 years later this plant is thriving I have already divided it once and they are both doing great. Meanwhile my other coneflowers are hanging in there, but I do not even care about them anymore, because I know they are going to die off. I bought this plant for next to nothing so I felt good about that. Anyone who really loves coneflowers must find this plant ( and I have noticed, it is not easy. It isn't in any nurseries around here; in fact Lowes doesn't even carry it anymore) It is awesome!!! I should take a pic and post it.

I'm sorry to hear some of you Gardener's have some problems with some of your Coneflowers. I had bought 4 Milkshakes last year 3 came back, but don't what happened to the fourth one. Same with my White Swan. Not sure but I think the animals ate some of my Coneflower's. My Pink Double Delights and Pink Poodles did not get bothered at all.

I bought my Echinacea hot summer last year. It came back this year beautifull. I did take some seeds last year they did germinate and are planted. I am curious to see if they come back as hot summer. Probably won't bloom until next year. This Echinacea hot summer is a very strong healthy plant.

Woo Hoo glad to hear the good news about Hot Summer. I found it at Lowe's today. My Hot Papaya is outstanding but only my second year having it. Looks like next year will tell the tale.

Thanks for the tip!

IAfter seeing this thread am now trying to track "Hot Summer" in my neck of the woods (Ontario) w/o success. There aren't many coneflowers at all still available at garden centres at this time in the summer. I was hoping to get it in the ground now so it would be up and running come next spring.

'Bluestone Perennials' has them but I don't know if they ship to Canada. Also there is a seller on eBay with them for sale also (owlcreekgrower).

This plant is still blooming. It's faded somewhat, but it has thick stalks and good basal branching. I think it's as tough as the pink varieties.

That's good to hear! I'm getting ready to order one so I can get it in the ground this year. I also ordered, already, Amazing Dream, Phoenix, Daydream, Secret Joy, and Secret Passion. Have you had luck with any of these. I bought liners from Yahoo co-op.
It's been so hot, I think it will be a miracle just to get them alive!

Success! I was able to obtain 4 small but healthy "Hot Summer" plants this afternoon. I have planted 2. Grow roots grow!

Congratulations on your new additions. I hear they are really good Coneflowers, I wish you well and hope I can get one soon as well.

Yay. I hope they do great there.

That is just gorgeous! I want some!!!
Sherry

So echinaceamaniac how are your "Hot Summer" doing this year? I bought several of these plants based on your recommendation but it is too early yet for mine to show flowers (at least they all survived their first winter).

This HS was planted late last summer. Here is its first flower for me:



This message was edited Jun 26, 2012 11:10 AM

That is a beautiful flower! Hope mine blooms soon. :)

Where can you get "Hot Summer" -- I couldn't find it by searching on that name.

Santa Rosa Gardens had it.

I got one from SRG, they still have some and they are on sale for 4.99. They come in a four inch pot and they have flat rate shipping and great packing.

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Echinacea-Coneflower-Perennial-Plants-s/71.htm

THANK YOU! Got one of those, and one of this, and one of that over there..... had to just stop at some point and stop looking. LOL. Bookmarked the site as well.

Good Idea!! You will love them. :)

Thanks for the recommendation for Santa Rosa. I ordered 8 different ones. When they arrived today, some had flowers on them, an unexpected surprise. Superlative packaging, not a single broken leaf or stem, soil in pots, everything neat and orderly and lush. Their flat-rate shipping is fabulous... and encouraged me to keep adding to my order. Sneaky.

The plants are nice, not fabulous, but I didn't expect fabulous for 4 bucks. However I tapped one out of its little pot and saw lovely root structures. They were a bit dry --- NOT their fault as we've had terribly hot weather lately -- and they weren't completely parched. So I'm giving them a nice bottom drink of Super Thrive and have the bed ready to plant tomorrow.

I am VERY happy with my first order from Santa Rosa. So much so that I went back and placed an order for 15 ornamental grasses.

Appreciate the recommendation, Virginiarose

You are very welcome, I think with echies dry is better than wet because they rot so easily. Wow 15 grasses! I ordered three Golden Sedge from them. I saw a mass planting in the middle of winter with these and I just love the gold color they are evergreen here, maybe for you also. :)