I had some of the newer ones in the last few years and they only lasted one year
and I have a green thumb..could have been the humidity and heat over 90 degrees
and I had them in half day sun, no afternoon sun
Which ones stand and hold the flower erect and do not have to be staked in my
conditions in the flower bed of half day sun?
Which seem to be the hardiest and live several years?
I lost Merlot and loved it and had bought 2 of those..and our winter was mild not but 3 nights that got to 30 degrees and they were not sitting in a waterlogged area......
How about Ruby Giant and others , any of those came back for you year after year
and which ones have flowers that do not have to be staked?
Which ones reseed and do well from the seeds on the ground?
thanks
sheri
Which are the hardiest of the coneflowers
I think all the new ones are hybrids, so I would be surprised if you could count on any of them to come true from seed. I planted some seed from the red Sombrero Salsa Red, I think it was. Naturally they ended up being almost a clone of the regular Purple Coneflower. I do really like the Salsa Red, and this is the second year it has returned, but it is not tall. It is short and therefore does not have to be staked, lots of pretty red blooms. I will be interested in seeing what others have to say about some of the new ones. Most of what I have read have had the same results you have had, they are not very reliable on returning year after year.
I had a yellow Cone named 'Sunrise' that did well for several years but I don't see it this year. The good old purple has been the most reliable. I tried 'Tomato Soup' three times but never could get it to do well and the flowers never looked like the (probably enhanced) photos they show. All in all, the hybrids have been very disappointing here. I just bought 'Cheyenne Spirit' (I've heard good things about it) and am going to give that one a try.
thank you
I had the white swan one and the yellow one and I paid 20.00 at the nursery for each
and neither returned theRu second year..
I loved Merlot and Ruby Giant and paid the same for them each..
Merlot did not return..this year and it was in a prime spot..good spot
I think I have Ruby Giant back this year one plant and will let you all know
if it blooms ..It is a huge plant and healthy and I have no idea which it is
but has to be Ruby Giant..it has large arrow like leaves...
Sheri
There are more unreliable ones that there are reliable ones, when talking about the hybrids. Most of those don't come true from seed and are propagated by tissue culture. That doesn't mean we echinacea lovers are quitters! Generally, you can find the ones that are the good ones by surfing through echinacea posts. Hot Summer seems to be a good one, some people like Hot Papaya, Cheyenne Spirit seems to be getting good reviews, although I think this is it's first year, so we shall see about it's return rate. The Sombrero series is getting good results and there are a lot of people that like the Pow Wow series as well. For yellows, if you like them, Cheyenne Spirit has yellows in the strain and I am really liking Leilani. Prolific bloomer, holds it color for a good while, but this is the first year with it, so not sure yet about return rate.
If you really want to go from seed, then go back to the oldies but goodies, the original pinks and you can seed all you want!
I'm not so big on the bright colors, but so far I've had great luck with everything I've tried: White Swan, Coconut Lime, Green Jewel, Green Envy, Rubinstern, and the old tried-and-true purple. All except the purple are at least 2-3 years in the garden.
This year I meant to move the White Swan but only got 1/2 done before noticing that it looked quite wilted in the new spot. I watered diligently for a few days, it recovered, and I never got to the rest. Now both sets are starting to bloom at the same time.
Funny, last year I bought what I thought looked like the old standard, and all summer it did look the same as the one that's been growing here for years. This year the new clump- Rubinstern- is at least 6-8"" taller than the oldie, and neither is in bloom yet. Echie on steroids!
Mine generally do well for at least three years or so. For now, I'm sticking with the native TN cone and the oldies but goodies. I'll see how 'Cheyenne Spirit' does. Sometimes I just can't resist growing the new ones and comparing my results. :)
I'm with Cville_Gardener; I have had good success with native E. tennesseeensis, and the old tried-and-true varieties, including 'White Swan'. And 'Magnus' which can be grown from seed. The newer ones - especially the yellows and reds - tend to fade away sooner than later, and I grew tired of paying $20 for an annual or biennial.
That's for sure. I've tried my last 'Tomato Soup'. Expensive and I didn't like the supposedly red color of any of the three I tried.
The 'Sunrise' and 'Meringue' above made it the two or three years and are now nowhere to be seen. The purple cones have done okay and the good ol' TN cone reseeds well for me. I have seeds of 'Amado' and 'Ruby Star' that I may direct sow this fall. But, so far, the native TN cone wins. It used to be on the Endangered list but was removed year before last, I think it was. I'm hoping my new 'Cheyenne Spirit' does well.
I guess I had better watch the Milkshake I have remaining .One grew a foot and half tall and disappeared , where , why , got me ..
Maybe I ought to keep a couple of cuttings if the one I have gets large enough ?..
Mine always get Asters yellow disease it's so frustrating! Every year I have to rip out a plant :(
I have several plants that were supposed to be 'Double Delight' but I'm pretty sure are 'Pow Wow' mislabeled... they've done very well for several years, even with neglect.