Web Extra: More coneflower varieites for contractors

More coneflower varieites for contractors

E. purpurea ‘Vintage Wine’ has a strong, upright, vase-shaped habit approximately 33 inches tall and 23 inches wide. Freely flowering plants produce dark-burgundy stems that display 2-3½ inch wide, vibrant deep-pinkish-purple flowers.

Short, horizontally held petals radiate out from a reddish-orange cone. The handsome dark-green foliage is broadly lanceolate, remains full at the crown, and well distributed up the stems to act as a foil to the intensely colored flowers.

• Excellent upright habit. Needs no staking.
• Multi-stemmed plants and abundant flowers.
• Pest and disease resistant, drought and heat tolerant.
• Ideal for the middle of the border.

E. pallida has 3- to 4-inch-wide flowers with 3-inch-long, narrow drooping petals of silvery-pink with a rosy-pink base. The petals resemble streamers, some of them twisted and becoming very animated with the slightest breeze.

The large cones are prominently displayed atop rigid, bristly, green stems, and gray-green, hairy linear-lanceolate foliage. Stems are predominantly unbranched, though multi-branching occurs occasionally.

Plants will most likely be grown from seed so expect variations in color and plant height. Flower color generally ranges from pale to rosy pink. Plant height can range from 26-40 inches tall with an upright and very open habit.

• Greatly underused coneflower. Effective vertical and kinetic accent in a meadow or naturalized planting.

E. tennesseensis is a species that is unique because of its cupped petals. The light- to dark-pinkish-purple, 2- to 3¼-inch-wide flowers have narrow, upturned petals with notched tips.

The evenly spaced petals encircle a greenish-maroon cone that matures to velvety brown. These distinctive flowers are held aloft on rigid, gently arching, hairy stems that attentively face to the east. It grows 22-34 inches tall, and has a clump-forming habit of narrow, lanceolate, noticeably hairy, gray-green basal foliage.

It’s important to note that this is a federally regulated endangered species and should be purchased only from nurseries with a valid U.S. Fish and Wildlife permit to propagate and sell them. There is also a cultivar of this species, E. tennesseensis ‘Rocky Top.’

• Pest and disease resistant. Tap rooting, making it drought tolerant.
• Attractive, compact, clean gray-green, hairy foliage.
• Unique flower shape. Very long bloom period of abundantly produced flowers that face the same direction, appearing as an attentive audience.
• Capable of readily reseeding if desired.