A tall daisy like plant (Coneflower)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Coneflower
Date:	13/01/08 (158 review reads)
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Cone flower.

One of the things I like to do of a winters eve is to look in gardening catalogues both on and off line, to plan /dream and order my garden plants for the next year. I saw on the pages some plants called Cone flowers. I think I shall order and plant some of these this year.

The cone flowers, Echinacea are a member of the Aster, Asteraceae family. Sometimes the cone flower gets called Rudbeckia There are several different coloured varieties one the Echinacea Purpurea, The most common one the purple flowered one Magnus, this has an orange centre, there is a white flowered one white lustre, Echinacea. Tennesseensis is a mauve coloured petal with greenish yellow centres. There is a yellow flowered one too. You may know one of the yellow ones as black eyed Susan. There are several other cone flowers coloured a range of whites yellows pink reds orange and purples. I shall choose a purple red coloured one for my garden.

Cone flowers can be bought as a tall variety or a dwarf variety. The tall varieties grow 3 to 4 foot/l 90 to 120 cm tall. The dwarf ones grow 12 to18 inches 30-45 cm tall. I shall probably but a few tall ones and a few shorter ones.

The flower looks like a daisy the daisy species belongs to the Asteracea family too. The common name cone flower comes from the centre of the flower which his slightly cone shaped.
Around the central cone radiate the coloured petals. Some of the cone flowers have single row of petals others double. The erinacea purpurea has flowers 2-4 inches wide. The stem will sprout several branches which will have a flower at the top. The flowers bloom from July through to September
The flowers are good as cut flowers for the house.
The green leaves grow all the way up the stem they are a sort of oval shape with jagged /toothed edges.

This plant can be bought at garden centres as a plant usually costs £2-£5, or you can grow from seed.
This plant likes a well drained soil in a sunny position, it is a hardy plant. A perennial that will last several years.

One of the reasons I have chosen this plant is that it is reported to attract butterflies and insects to the flower. Generally I prefer to grow native plants in my garden but this plant originates from North America.
I record the sightings of butterflies in my garden for Butterfly Conservation so I will be able to find out if this plant does attract them.
Enjoy your garden this year, I am dreaming of warm sunny days in my flower filled one.

Summary: A hardy Perennial