Echinacea 'AMAZING DREAM' coneflower
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Echinacea
Echinacea, known by its common name coneflower, is a perennial plant of the North American prairies, where it has thrived for thousands of years. Fossil pollen from related members of the daisy family has been found in sediments millions of years old, meaning its foremothers grew on this continent long before the arrival of humans. The Indigenous peoples of America (including the Sioux, Comanche, and others) knew its medicinal properties and used it to relieve pain, treat inflammation, snakebites, and even rabies. The genus name comes from the Greek echinos – hedgehog – referring to the spiny, cone-shaped centre of the flower head. Today, about nine species are recognized, the most common in cultivation being E. purpurea, along with E. paradoxa, E. pallida, and E. angustifolia. It was botanically described by the German botanist Konrad Mönch (aka Conrad Moench, 1744–1805) based on herbarium material brought to Europe by missionaries and naturalists from American expeditions. Echinacea reached Europe at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, but its true explosion of colour came in 1995, when E. purpurea was crossed with E. paradoxa at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The result was the very first orange cultivar named Art’s Pride, which sparked an era of vividly coloured varieties in shades ranging from delicate pastels to rich, warm tones.
Amazing Dream is a dream come true for coneflower lovers and landscape designers longing for a long lasting colour and massive flowering. This beauty was bred by Harini Korlipara from TerraNova® Nurseries in Oregon, USA. It makes vivid deep pink to magenta purple flowers with fiery orange cones. They release strong and lovely fragrance, partly fruity, partly floral, which is released only until about 3 p.m. There are numerous buds along one stem which enables the plant to bloom freely from July until early autumn.
The flowers are attractive for butterflies, bumble bees, and also bees can find a way to suck some nectar from them. Flowering begins at the top of the stems and continues from the axils along the stem. Regular deadheading will promote formation of new buds and flowers. Leaves are mid green, lanceolate and may suffer from diseases if grown in wet or compacted soil. Patent No. PP23019 was issued in 2012.
The plant is usually trouble-free and resistant, just be careful is slugs are present in your garden. Since coneflowers emerge quite late, often when slugs are already in their lethal strength, they could gobble up newly emerging foliage totally and thus destroy the plant before it even comes out
Last update 02-01-2017; 26-11-2018
Coneflowers are beautiful, low-maintenance perennials that bloom from the first half of summer until autumn. The central discs hide nectar eagerly sought by butterflies and bumblebees. Regular deadheading, along with occasional feeding with liquid fertilizers, will extend the flowering season. Their stems are very sturdy, withstanding heavy rain and wind. They will grow in almost any well-drained, non-waterlogged soil in full sun, but dislike overly acidic conditions. Although native to the prairies, experience shows that hybrid types in particular dislike prolonged drought and appreciate extra watering during the driest parts of the year. In spring, watch out for slug invasions, which can consume much of the fresh growth – offering them beer traps is a great and effective way to lure them to a boozy demise while protecting your plants. Hardy to at least -29 °C (USDA zone 5), possibly lower, and requiring no winter protection
