Echinacea Secret Romance - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea Secret Romance is one of the most interesting dwarf varieties. It is a flowering perennial with a compact habit and vigorous growth, light pink flowers with prominent hearts in fresh pink pompons bloom from July to September. Truly beautiful, voluptuous, and fresh, this plant, highly acclaimed by enthusiasts, is ideal for cutting or drying flowers. It is also a very robust plant that adapts to difficult conditions tolerating occasional intense heat, humidity, and drought. It can even grow in poor soils.

Native to the western United States, from Georgia to Michigan through Oklahoma and Ohio, Rudbeckia purpurea is a perennial with a strong character that confidently colonizes rocky meadows, savannahs, clear undergrowth, and roadsides in its natural environment. 'Secret Romance' is a compact form of this formidable pioneer. It has a dense and sturdy tufted habit, reaching 50 cm (20in) high and 40 cm (16in) wide. This plant does not weaken or collapse, demonstrating excellent durability. The deciduous, opposite, lanceolate, green leaves are covered in rough hairs. Fragrant flowering occurs from July until the end of summer, accompanying inulas, asters, and ornamental tobaccos. Butterflies love it. The green-reddish branching stems each terminate in a solitary 8 cm (3in) diameter head, resembling a pompom of tiny florets, fresh pink with a slightly drooping pale pink petal centre. The fruit is an achene that releases seeds that birds are fond of. This plant firmly and deeply anchors itself in the soil with its highly developed root system.

Rudbeckia Secret Romance has very colourful flowers, pleasant to see on slightly misty autumn days. It can be used in mixed borders with other contrasting pink flowers (shrubby salvias, dwarf gladioli, daylilies, carnations) or in the company of inulas, asters, yarrows, daisies, echinops, phlox, lighten the scene by mixing in some ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia, Muhlenbergia capillaris... Splendid in borders, the beautiful colour of the purple Echinacea Secret Romance is also very beautiful in fresh or dried flower bouquets.

Virtues: In homoeopathy, its root is used to fight against colds and strengthen the immune system. These properties were first used by Native Americans. The name Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, which means "hairy or like a hedgehog," and acea, which means "having the shape of," alluding to the hearts of the flowers. Purpurea means "purple."