Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa

I suppose that everybody knows what paradox is. And in case of this coneflower the major paradox is that a perennial called purple coneflower is totally yellow. Or golden yellow which does not help either, so the botanists decided to change its name to reflect its location of origin: Ozark coneflower (The Ozarks is a highland region covering major part of Missouri and Arkansas, USA).

Ozark coneflower has unusually large cones of chocolate brown colour, made of stamens producing nectar that attracts mainly bumble bees and butterflies. The golden yellow ray florets are extraordinarily narrow and somewhat curled down and the flower looks like a jellyfish swimming up to the surface. Deciduous leaves are mid to light green, also very narrow, most of them remain at the ground level and some climb up along the stems.

Coneflowers are maintenance-free perennials with sturdy stems that do not break in wind or heavy rain. They will tolerate almost any soil type but boggy and love full sun. Deadheading will prolong flowering time. They are suitable for mixed borders with perennials, or can be used as a flowering feature among low shrubs and conifers, and looks lovely when planted in a mass in a container on patios and balconies. Fully hardy to approx. -29°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 10-12-2012