It’s official! I’m totally in love with the Coneflower, or echinacea. Vicki and I were in Sun Valley last week for the summer Garden Conservancy trip and the standout flower for me (and it was stiff competition) was the Coneflower. I didn’t realize how many varieties and colors there are.
The wonderful thing about these flowers is that no matter where they are in their growth cycle, they have personality. They are charming whether they are about to open, are fully opened or are on the decline. Every single flower makes a statement and distinguishes itself from the flower next to it.
The Coneflower is part of the herbaceous flower plant group, in the daisy family. There are 9 species and are interestingly only found in eastern and central North America. Yet, we found them in Sun Valley and I am already growing the White Swan variety in my Napa Valley garden. So I think they are worth a try outside of their typical zone.
