Harvest Moon Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
(ek-in-AY-shee-uh) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

Family: Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee)

While I was grabbing a couple plants at the local wholesale nursery I came across this great coneflower. I have already discussed Razzamatazz and Sunrise Coneflower here and I have also been growing Fatal Attraction, Sunset and Meadowbrite. These new ‘Cones’ are great but they seem slightly more apt to some fungus on the petals. I am interested to see what their long-term stamina is. It will be nice to see what they add to the gene pool of the Coneflowers I have been growing from seed. Most of those come back a dusky pink, which I find attractive, but that is just me. Once in a while a really nice color will grow from seed. Those are the ones I collect seed from at the end of the year. That is if I can remember which ones were which.

This Coneflower makes a strong and vivid impression. The color is great and the plants I saw were happily blooming their heads off, even in the pots. I will have to pick up a few and have my own little ‘test’ Coneflower test garden. If I saw this at the wholesale place that means they will be soon arriving at the local garden centers in good numbers, and at a lower price. I don’t mind paying a slight premium for something new but don’t fall into getting gouged just to have the latest thing. I have learned to wait and watch the trends and if it is a truly great new plant it will hang around.

While I was at the nursery I picked up a Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika ‘Bruns’). They didn’t know too much about it. I am lucky it only grows to 14 feet, as that will fill the area. It is weeping but much less so than a traditional weeping evergreen. It is subtly pendulous at the ends of the branches. It is got a nice blue color and plenty of texture.