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ECHINACEA
RENAISSANCE
A BREAK WITH THE PAST. A new set of rules. A higher bar. This describes the state of Echinacea today. Led by series like Kismet and Sombrero, the modern coneflower is nothing like the one we sold a decade ago. Now there are more vibrant colors, more stems, longer seasons, bigger flowers, and better lifespans. This jump in quality is the result of less focus on the flower alone and more attention to the overall plant. Renaissance breeding doesn’t stop with one or two breeders. The definition of success for the entire Echinacea category has shifted. Our new introductions include many improvements, not just one or two interesting features.
Understanding Our Echinaceas
Many, many cultivars of Echinacea are sold on the market. When choosing varieties we focus on key features we admire, not just one but several. Bundled together, they make a plant garden worthy and desirable. We must want to grow it in our own gardens, and we often do.
The Kismet Series
Kismets are best-known for their five-inch blooms and the tall, bushy stance of their plants. Because the entire Kismet series was developed from a single breeding program, varieties are remarkably consistent in height and habit. The Kismets also wrap all the Renaissance traits into a single package: multi-floral crowns, robust plants, vibrant color, long seasons, and a longer lifespan.
The Sombrero Series
Sombrero is focused on providing a wider range of colors and continuously improving its stock. ‘Sombrero Yellow Improved’, for example, is the finest single yellow on the market right now. As a series, Sombreros are shorter and tighter in habit and they bloom with a three-inch flower. They also have more variation among their heights and habits.
Doubles & Semi-Doubles
Echinaceas develop into doubles when the quills of the central cone mutate into petals instead. The result is a fuzzy pom-pom style of bloom with the ring petals drooping underneath. Then there is ‘Delicious Candy’, whose quills in the central cone are actually immature petals.
The Short Ones
Over the decades, the average height of Echinaceas has shortened and tightened. ‘Kim’s Knee High’ used to be promoted as the short one. Now we sell it as a coneflower of medium height. Recent breeding has introduced several very short coneflowers.
Sombrero Poco Hot Coral
‘Hot Coral’ was always the smallest of the Sombrero series. Darwin has paired it with a yellow to create a dwarf line of Echinacea. Rebranded as ‘Sombrero Poco Hot Coral’, it’s the same plant with a new name.
Sombrero Poco Yellow
This Echinacea launches the Poco subbrand of Sombreros, focusing on short and compact plants. Flower width is roughly the same as a full-sized Sombrero, but the plant is several inches shorter and more narrow in shape.
Tweety
Another European contribution, ‘Tweety’ is a Dutch coneflower with solid yellow petals surrounding a golden cone. It grows just over a foot, the shortest Echinacea we sell.
The Bicolors
Renaissance breeding continues to bring innovations to the Echinacea market. Once a rare feature, bicolor blooms appear in several new selections in a variety of forms.
Butterfly Yellow Rainbow Marcella
A short Echinacea, ‘Yellow Rainbow Marcella’ has one of the prettiest bicolors with the standard coneflower profile.
Fiery Meadow Mama
The best example of a pallada-style Echinacea, ‘Fiery Meadow Mama’ has drooping petals and a strong red eye surrounding the cone. It requires a complete winter to achieve a fully multi-floral crown.
Playful Meadow Mama
‘Playful Meadow Mama’ has an unusual flower with Dahlia-like tips to the petals. The flower itself is quite large. Occasionally we see specimens with a double set of ring petals.
Green Twister
The Mixes
These mixes provide a variety of colors within a single purchase. ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ (2 to 3 feet) grows shorter than ‘Mellow Yellows’ (about 3 feet).
Classics You Remember
Not all varieties tarnish with age. Many earlier selections still sell well because their signature features are so widely loved. These cultivars are fondly remembered and frequently bought by gardeners, landscapers, and planners who return to their favorites.
Big Sky Solar Flare
Five-inch magenta-red blooms have a deeply brown cone and sit on an equally dark stem. ‘Big Sky Solar Flare’ is a good source of seed for birding gardens.
Big Sky Sundown
Produced by the Saul Brothers in Georgia, ‘Big Sky Sundown’ is the tall orange Echinacea with thick stems and a light fragrance. This cone is larger than usual and becomes an ideal bird feeding station when it goes to seed.
Kim’s Knee High
Back in the day, ‘Kim’s Knee High’ used to be promoted as a short coneflower. Now it is average in height, an example of how industry expectations have changed over the past 40 years.
Magnus
Harvested in Sweden and commercialized by the European seed company Jelitto, ‘Magnus’ defines the classic Echinacea with a large pink flower.
Pica Bella
Jim Ault of Chicagoland Grows developed one of the first multi-floral crowns through his crosses with other overlooked species. ‘Pica Bella’ has a very heavy bloom count.
Tomato Soup
Bred by Terra Nova,‘Tomato Soup’ gained a significant fanbase during the height of the second wave of breeding for its clean reds.
