Echinacea purpurea Ferris Wheel - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea 'Ferris Wheels' flowering is incredibly fresh. Its big copper-orange heart is surrounded by a skirt of white-cream tubular florets that open and divide at their tips. It is a jewel that brings a lot of charm to romantic gardens throughout the summer. Afterwards, the achenes (their fruits) take over in autumn to the delight of birds who enjoy them. This purple coneflower is a resistant, easy perennial that allows for fresh, elegant, and refined bouquets.

Originating from North America, where it grows naturally, Echinacea has been in our gardens for many years. It thrives in the wild: vast meadows, forest edges, roadsides... As a result, it is content with any type of soil, any type of climate, and displays a robustness and hardiness appreciated by gardeners. However, it prefers deep, well-drained soils and will establish more easily (and therefore withstand drought afterwards) if initially placed in moist soil. Note that it may take its time to settle, but then it shows resistance and longevity. It thrives in sunlight, but also in light shade. It requires almost no care, except for the traditional little grooming of removing faded flowers as desired.

Echinacea purpurea has an upright and bushy habit. Its leaves are deciduous, rather medium green, hairy, and quite thick. They are lanceolate, longer and more numerous at the base, but alternate and sparse along the stems. The stems are long, sturdy, and bear large heads measuring 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) in diameter at their tips. The numerous crossbreeding, from which most varieties now originate, has multiplied the characteristics of the latter. Colours and shapes are abundant. They all consist of a cone-shaped, sometimes cylindrical, central disk that can be very prominent, as is the case with 'Ferris Wheel'. It is surrounded by ligules, varying in length, arranged in one or more rows, giving it the simple and wise appearance of a large daisy or, on the contrary, the unruly fluffiness of a pompom. The variations are limitless, and everyone will find their heart's desire among the cultivars now available. They also actively animate the garden thanks to the pollinators they attract.

The delicacy of the florets of the 'Ferris Wheel' Echinacea, as well as its tender colour, are precious allies in bringing softness to flower beds. It can then be surrounded by its cousins of the same genus: 'Meringue' and 'Mozzarella', and the 'Nevada' Rose. Its size (60cm (24in) tall by 45cm (18in) wide) allows it to fit into a frilly flower bed alongside 'Leucanthemum superbum 'Angelina' and Thalictrum aquilegifolium 'Album'.