This plant is beautiful. I cannot believe how hairy it is, though. I think it's the fuzziest coneflower I've ever seen. The petals even have hairs on them. Last year, the plant died down before the blooms opened. This year it looks like I am in luck! I think this plant has the most unusual color. Even the cone is a very light color. Notice the reddish purple colors of the sepals.
Here's a picture of the bud up close. It is so strange! I'll post another picture when the petals open completely.
Here's the opened bloom. The petals don't hang down like the other Pallida plants. The plant is about half the height of normal Pallida too.
I'll be planting the seeds from this plant for sure. I know some favor the Purpurea plants, but I've grown to love these plants. I like the spidery look of the blooms. I'm crossing these with Paradoxa. They are both blooming now so I'm in luck!
Yeah, the spidery look is very different I must say,
Here's a view of the plant...Pallida mostly blooms all at once and then the show is over. This one blooms a couple of blooms at a time so it will bloom a longer period of time. This one has a glow about it. I think it's my favorite right now...but I always find a new favorite coneflower! LOL.
Oh yeah. I think our favorites are always changing from time to time. My favorite currently is Echinacea "Green Eyes", but I'm sure that will change again soon. Most all of them are looking very promising this year and are so much taller than they were at any time last year.
Jon
Your picture of "Green Eyes" made me take a second look. LOL. I think I'm going to stick with my own seedlings for a while. I have so many that I'm running out of room. I hope Mac 'N Cheese starts growing! It's very green but so short!
I hope Mac N Cheese does well for you. I would think that seedlings take up lots of space. Ir's probably similar to crossing just about anything else in the floral world. You have to do many many many to produce some good ones with good blooming, growing characteristics, and disease resistance. Just the shear numbers indicates you need some serious space. Green Eyes is still doing well. Two new blooms are opening and the old bloom is still looking good in a vase for about 10 days or so now.
