Happy mid-summer, campers! How fun it is to change the floral formula of a mainstay plant like Echinacea. Our breeders have been hard at work massaging the genes of one of America’s number one perennials- the coneflower. Not so many years ago there were two choices of Echinacea, ‘White Swan’ and ‘Magnus.’ White or rose-pink. A year-old plant may have grown three flowers, decent size, but with bare stems and three feet tall.
Through the work of Jim Ault, the Saul Brothers, and the Terra Nova Breeding team, the sky’s the limit!
We are already, as the Brits say, “Spoilt by choice.” Rich colors from carmine red to cantaloupe orange to electric magenta to traffic-light yellow fill the retail nurseries in the U.S. Not only are the colors amazing but the plant form is now well-branched without the “naked legs” of the past. More branches mean more blooms and reblooms! But America’s taste never relents. “What’s new?” they ask. Bicolors, baby. Marco Van Noort of the Netherlands and Terra Nova Nurseries are turning up the heat, blowing minds with the artful color combinations that were only a dream a few short years ago. There is even a sport of Magnus grown from seed selected by Jellito that is a bicolor. The breeders of Terra Nova maintain their exacting standards of flower form, branching and pollinator worthiness that add extra value to the consumer’s dollar. Let’s have a peek at some new marvels!
Echinacea ‘Sweet Sandia’
We have not been this excited about an Echinacea introduction since the first of the KISMET™ series! Single, broad petaled flowers each looking like a slice of watermelon.So pretty!Compact habitand tons of flowering stems have made this our most sought-after plant in years. The uniformity of this clonal variety makes scheduling and sales easy. 'Sweet Sandia' is destined to become a consumer favorite. Great bloom height to twenty-four inches on an upright but compact habit, sixteen inches wide by nineteen inches high. Hardy in USDA Zones four to nine. Takes a sunny exposure, good drainage and likes to dry out between waterings. Remember that this one has the mark of Terra Nova breeding: strong stems, full flowers, and excellent form. Plants are blooming from early summer until October. https://www.terranovanurseries.com/product/echinacea-sweet-sandia/
Echinacea ‘French Tips’
A neatly groomed plant with classy French tips! Large, fragrant flowers are as neat as can be with smooth, pink petals, displaying a crisp crease and well-manicured tips. Petals are cleanly marked with white at the ends. This beauty displays a dense, bushy habit and loads of flowers. A joy to watch as pollinators swarm to feast on the flowers over an extended period, typically July through October. As with all Echinacea, it prefers full sun and well-draining average garden soil. Hardy in USDA Zones four to nine. Great blooms grow to twenty-four inches high on an upright but compact habit, twenty-four inches wide by twenty-four inches high. https://www.terranovanurseries.com/product/echinacea-french-tips/
Echinacea KISMET® ‘Pink Lemonade’
I’d buy this at a lemonade stand! The famous KISMET® series has a new and exciting addition. 'Pink Lemonade' has all the best features of the multiple, award-winning KISMET®s, rounded, compact habit, great vigor, long lasting, bi-color blooms in an unusual shade of pink with lemonade colored petal tips. As with all Echinacea, it prefers full sun and well-draining average garden soil. The flowers rise to eighteen inches high on an upright but compact habit, twelve inches wide by fourteen inches high. Hardy in USDA Zones four to nine. Pollinators can feast on pollen and nectar from June to October on this tasty plant. https://www.terranovanurseries.com/product/echinacea-kismet-pink-lemonade/
Echinacea FRESCO™ ‘Apricot’
Your humble servant, (Oops wrong show!) Dan needs to be blown away with a perennial to rate in his top ten. Bingo. This is it. Truly, a refreshing change in Echinaceas. The tall, narrow habit of this plant sets it apart from all others. This really blew away the visitors at the Cultivate trade show last year. Quite large, semidouble, zinnia-like flowers top this new plant in spectacular fashion. Long lived in the garden and as with all Echinacea, it prefers full sun and well-draining average garden soil. The flowers rise to an impressive twenty-nine inches high on an upright but compact habit, twelve inches wide by twenty inches high. Pollinators can feast from June to October on this gorgeous plant. Hardy in USDA Zones four to nine. https://www.terranovanurseries.com/product/echinacea-fresco-apricot/
Dan Heims is an award-winning author who lectures throughout the world. He was recently honored by The American Horticultural Society with the Luther Burbank Breeding Award, as well as the Perennial Plant Association’s Award of Merit. He was also honored in receiving the Royal Horticultural Society’s Reginald Cory Cup for advancements in breeding. You may contact Dan at [email protected] Questions on culture and care or availability for a speaking engagement can be found at this email.
All articles are copyrighted and remain the property of the author.
By Laura Root
Photos courtesy of Jackson & Perkins
Gardeners are always thinking ahead to the next season or the next year. And, fall is the ideal time to think about spring. Flowering shrubs, perennials and spring bulbs are great choices.
Click here for an interesting article about spring bulbs.
Click here to sign up for our monthly NEWSLETTER packed with great articles and helpful tips for your home, garden and pets!
