Download the report, Echinacea for Ohio
Echinacea Trial at Secrest Arboretum
Coneflowers are popular landscape perennials. Over the past 20 years, the number of available cultivars found in garden centers, nurseries, and online stores has exploded, and for good reason. Coneflowers produce many beautiful flowers in a variety of colors, attract pollinators, and are typically care-free garden plants. Coneflowers, often referred to by their genus, Echinacea, are members of the Asteraceae, or aster, family. Plants in the genus Echinacea are clump forming perennials that produce a basal rosette of foliage followed by flowers. The plants can reach heights of two to four feet. In general, Echinacea are tap rooted species. However, E. purpurea, our native purple coneflower, has a more fibrous root system than other species, which allows it to better adapt to garden soils.
There are nine species of Echinacea native to the United States. Four species, E. pallida, E. paradoxa, E. pupurea, and E. tennesseensis, are commonly used for breeding.
Most Echinacea species are endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and overharvesting. Plant selection and breeding has contributed to the conservation of some species, as nurseries grow the plants and homeowners plant them in their gardens. The explosion of cultivars in recent years has demonstrated the need for a comprehensive trial of the Echinacea taxa currently available in the trade. When this trial was being planned in 2019, there were 190 different taxa of Echinacea available on the market. That number continues to change each year, as breeders introduce new cultivars to the market and pull ones that were difficult to propagate or were not great plants.
About Echinacea
The name Echinacea comes from the Greek, echinos, meaning “hedgehog”. As members of the aster family, Echinacea flowers are composite. That is, each “flower” is made up of many individual disc and ray flowers, or florets, on a common receptacle. The central disc florets resemble a hedgehog’s quills—and even feel like them due to the presence of a spiny bract. Disc florets are short-lived and produce pollen, nectar, and sometimes fragrance. The ray florets, or ligules, are what many would traditionally consider the petals. These ray florets serve to attract pollinators to the flower heads. For ease of reading, we will refer to flower heads as “flowers” in this report.
Through breeding, the flowers have been modified into different forms. Breeders have selected for plants that have longer ligules, creating double and, what we have termed, pompom type flowers. Such flowers are beautiful, but many have reduced pollinator visitation due to their unnatural modifications. Previous plant trials separated plants into two distinct flower types, single or double. After observing the plants, we felt that a third flower category, pompom, was needed since not all double flowering plants were the same.
Detailed rankings are found below.
Top Performing Taxa
The following 16 taxa were deemed the top performers, with an overall average score ranging from 4.0 to 4.4 out of 5.
Echinacea Butterfly 'Purple Emperor'
Bred by AB-Cultivars, Butterfly 'Purple Emperor’ was the top performing plant in the trial, with a score of 4.4 out of 5. The compact, upright plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Butterfly 'Purple Emperor’ produced strong purplish-red single flowers for an average of 10 weeks and was a top plant for pollinators. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea 'Noortdeli' Delicious Candy®
Delicious Candy® ranked second with a score of 4.4 out of 5. The compact, mounding plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. This plant was bred by Dutch breeder, Marco Van Noort. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Delicious Candy® produced strong purplish-red double flowers for an average of 9 weeks. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea Cone-fections 'Pink Double Delight'
Cone-fections 'Pink Double Delight’ ranked third in the trial, with a score of 4.3 out of 5. The mounding plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. 'Pink Double Delight’ produced vivid purplish red double flowers for an average of 8 weeks. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea Double Scoop Raspberry ('Balsceras')
Double Scoop Raspberry was a top performing plant in the trial, with a score of 4.3 out of 5. The mounding plant produced an abundance of flowers with an average of 40 flowers per plant. Double Scoop Raspberry produced strong red pompom type flowers for an average of 9 weeks. The Double Scoop cultivar was bred by Darwin Perennials to bring the habit., branching, and flower count of the Sombrero® series to double-flowered plants. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea PowWow® Wild Berry
('Pas702917')
PowWow® Wild Berry was 5th in the trial, with a score of 4.2 out of 5. This plant has been on the market for many years and is 2010 AAS winner. The foliage was very clean throughout the season. Plants branched low resulting in more flowers. PowWow® Wild Berry produced 3” diameter strong purplish red flowers for an average of 9 weeks. The flowers were favored by pollinators. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea Sombrero® Hot Coral ('Balsomcor')
Sombrero® Hot Coral ranked sixth in the trial, with a score of 4.2 out of 5. The mounding plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Sombrero® Hot Coral produced strong reddish orange flowers for an average of 9 weeks, that were favored by pollinators. The Sombrero® series did well, with 7 of 11 taxa placing in the top 30 plants. Plants of this series are compact, well branched, and bloom for just over two months. Bred by Darwin Perennials, this plant is no longer offered. Average height: 18-24”. Average width: 18-24”.
Echinacea 'Pink Fascinator'
'Pink Fascinator’ ranked seventh in the trial, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. The compact plant averaged 30 large (3” wide) flowers per plant. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. The double flowers were strong purplish-red in color and bloomed for an average of 8 weeks. Average height: 18-23”. Average width: 18-23”.
Echinacea Sombrero® Flamenco Orange ('Balsomenco')
Sombrero® Flamenco Orange was 8th in the trial, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. The compact, rounded plant was well branched with many large, 3” diameter flowers. The stems were strong and resisted being pushed over by strong winds or heavy rains. Flower color was a strong vivid reddish orange flowers for an average of 8 weeks. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea 'Sensation Pink'
'Sensation Pink’ was ninth in the trial, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. The compact, mounding plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. As the petals matured, they began to reflex, adding to the interest of this plant. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. The strong purplish-red single flowers seemed to glow for an average of 9 weeks and were attractive to pollinators. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea 'White Fascinator'
'White Fascinator’ was the best performing white-flowered selection in the trial, coming in 10th (4.1 out of 5). The compact plant would make an excellent addition for the front of the border. The double flowers were held by strong stems that did not flop due to wind or rain. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. 'White Fascinator’ produced greenish white flowers for an average of 9 weeks. Average height: 12-17“. Average width: 18-23".
Echinacea 'Fiery Meadow Mama'
Another AB-Cultivars selection, 'Fiery Meadow Mama' ranked 11th in the trial, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. The upright plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. The two-toned flowers (vivid reddish orange and vivid orange yellow) had petals which were reflexed. 'Fiery Meadow Mama’ bloomed from mid-June through August (9 weeks). This plant was also a favorite of pollinators. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea Prairie Pillars 'Leilani'
Prairie Pillars 'Leilani’ by Terra Nova Nurseries Inc, was the best yellow selection, ranking 12th in the trial (4.1 out of 5.). The upright plant was tall, making it a great choice for the back of the border. The strong stems held the fragrant 3” diameter flowers upright when other tall selections tended to flop. The foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Prairie Pillars 'Leilani’ produced vivid yellow single flowers for an average of 9 weeks. The flowers did not fade but retained their vivid color during the bloom period. Average height: 24-30”. Average width: 24-30”.
Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy ('Balsombabur’)
Another of the Sombrero® series by Darwin Perennials, Baja Burgundy was 13th in the trial, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. The compact, mounding plant was well-branched and produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. Overall, the foliage was clean with minimal disease. Sombrero® Baja Burgundy produced deep red single flowers for an average of 9 weeks and was a top plant for pollinators. Average height: 18-23”. Average width: 18-23”.
Echinacea Sombrero® Adobe Orange ('Balsomador')
Sombrero® Adobe Orange was the best true orange, ranking 14th in the trial, with a score of 4.0 out of 5. Like other members of the Sombrero® series, the compact plant was well-branched and held 3” upright flowers. Anecdotally, the Sombrero® series produced the most seedlings out of all the taxa in the trial. Sombrero® Adobe Orange produced vivid reddish orange single flowers for an average of 8 weeks and was favored by pollinators. Average height: 18- 23”. Average width: 18-23”.
Echinacea Eye-Catcher 'Canary Feathers'
Eye-Catcher 'Canary Feathers’, a Walters Gardens introduction, ranked 15th in the trial, with a score of 4.0 out of 5. The compact, upright plant produced an abundance of vivid yellow flowers for 9 weeks (late June through August). Advertised as having 5” diameter flowers, the plants in our trial averaged 3” in diameter and faded with time to light yellow. Average height: 18-23”. Average width: 18-23”.
Echinacea Pixie Meadowbrite ('CBG Cone 2')
Pixie Meadowbrite was bred by Dr. Jim Ault, the director of ornamental plant research at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and ranked 16th in the trial, with a score of 4.0 out of 5. The compact open plant produced an abundance of flowers held by strong stems. While the plant had an open habit, it did not flop. The narrow foliage was very clean through the season with minimal disease. Pixie Meadowbrite produced strong purplish-red single 3” wide flowers for an average of 7 weeks. This plant was a favorite of arboretum staff. Average height: 18-23”. Average width: 18-23”.