Welcome to the backyard zoo! Don’t look now, but critters have taken root in your garden. Relax, they’re friendly – and they’re animals in name only. Let’s meet one.

Echinacea: This popular native genus is so named because its spiky central seed cone reminded a botanist of the echidna, a.k.a. the spiny anteater. A quirky animal from Down Under, the echidna has spikes like a porcupine and lays eggs like a bird.

That critter’s namesake perennial, a.k.a. coneflower, has burst out in in a staggering range of varieties in recent years. Let’s review some of our favorites.

COMPACT FORMS

If retail presentation is a concern – and when isn’t it? – these bushy smaller types, all under 2’, are your go-to choices for great pot performance.

Artisan™ Collection: Red Ombre and Soft Orange are the first F1 hybrid Echinacea. Single blooms open bright and vivid, maturing to softer tones for a nifty multi-hue look.

Butterfly™ Series: Petite charmers named for five favorite flying flowers.

Kismet® Series: Five more colors! High crown count! Big blooms! Don’t fight it, it’s fate.

Sombrero® Series: Seven scintillating selections with sizzling single flowers. 

‘Cheyenne Spirit’: an economical seed mix that blooms gold, scarlet, orange, rose, cream purple and yellow. 

FULL-SIZED FORMS

Proper gardens need plants of different sizes. Repeating the same genus in different heights enhances what designers call “rhythm” in the landscape. So give those low-growing Echinacea some full-figured coneflowers, some up to 48” tall, to look up to.

‘Magnus’ and ‘Magnus Superior’: An early PPA Perennial Plant of the Year, and a modern update with even bigger, flatter pink flowers. 

Supreme™ ‘Cantaloupe’: Fluffy double blooms the color of ripe melons. Yum!

‘Tomato Soup’ As red as its name with flowers up to 6” across! Fill your bowl!

Give your customers the gift of fauna-inspired flora. We tame them for you in smooth-handling, fast-finishing liners from Emerald Coast Growers – the easy choice!