I have inherited the common Purple cone flower and transplanted many. It spreads even with deadheading. Rubu Giant does well for me too and I just added Magnus to that area yesterday.
Tiki Torch is slow and uneven after 4 years.
Green Envy ,didnt like the bloom color and took the plant out after 3 years. It blooms green but turns an awful pale pink as it matures. Maybe others have had different experience but thats mine.
Summer Sky, Love it great color.
Harvest moon did well here as did Hot Summer.
I just planted Cheyanne Spirit due to members positive reviews. also Primadonna White . fingers crossed for the newbies.

Anybody have updates on echinaceas (especially some of the newer "fancy" ones) that have done well for you and come through the winter?

I've got Magus and Pow Wow Wild Berry, also started some E. paradoxa last summer that hopefully will sprout out soon. I have 'Hot Summer' coming from Santa Rosa, and I was prompted to post when browsing their site this afternoon -- 'Flamingo' looks very sweet, like a fully double 'Double Decker'. Anybody tried it?

As others have posted, I haven't had much luck with the new patented cutivars... may invest in seed packets next year instead.

Jill, I have Magnus,HotSummer and Wild Berry. Also the Sky series have done well for me. Chayanne Spirit is another tried and true.
I had heard so many negatives about the hybrids I didnt bother with them.

I've had/ or do have so many, I forget what's what!





One bad bug year, I had Aster Yellows in my yard and the losses were heavy, but you can't blame that on the plants.

The old fashioned purple are always my hardiest. I've started Cheyenne Spirit from seed several times with good results. I only had one of the Big Sky series and it was a bust. That one became compost food. Hot Papaya only lasted two years for me.

But I swear, some of my old purple ones are 30 years old I think.

Karen

I try something new each year. I have not had good luck overwintering any of the beautiful new varieties, The older standbys do well. The new varieties are rather expensive to be annuals!

I agree with Gary, the prices on these new coneflowers are too high for a plant that can't make it through zone 7b/8a winter LOL!
Do those growers think we gardeners are that gullible? Well I was tempted by a bright orange one called Flamethrower a few years ago and it was a huge fail, but the Fragrant Angel (white) has come back every year but very slow to spread.
So I mainly have Magnus, and a fuchsia coneflower that is gorgeous, hardy and from seeds I got in a swap on cubits. It reseeds, is very tall and has lots of flowers. I call it Unknown Pink Echinacea. It is definitely not powwow, much taller.
Cheyenne spirit is beautiful but shorter so I put it in front. Saved seeds and over winter I scattered some in an empty pot that sat on deck all winter. It's full of Cheyenne spirit seedlings. So easy to grow and gorgeous!

Lost Tiki Torch and this year lost Solar Flare, though the latter has survived at a friend's for a few years. Salsa Red has overwintered well here in southern Ohio.

Jo Ann, good to hear the Sky series does well for you.. I've hesitated on those. Too expensive to be annuals, as Gary said!

I love Summer Sky,here it is with lily Rosellas Dream.

i have hot papaya. cantalope,milkshake.strawberry truffle, and milkshake. in zone 5 and soil between poor and fair to middlin. they all do well but hot papaya grows like a weed. also white swan is vigoroue too.

critterologist said:Anybody have updates on echinaceas (especially some of the newer "fancy" ones) that have done well for you and come through the winter?

I've got Magus and Pow Wow Wild Berry, also started some E. paradoxa last summer that hopefully will sprout out soon. I have 'Hot Summer' coming from Santa Rosa, and I was prompted to post when browsing their site this afternoon -- 'Flamingo' looks very sweet, like a fully double 'Double Decker'. Anybody tried it?

As others have posted, I haven't had much luck with the new patented cutivars... may invest in seed packets next year instead.

I have Cantaloupe Supreme and I just love it! It grew great last year and made it through the winter, so I look forward to it blooming again. I have Tiki torch, but not sure about it's longevity. Hot Papaya was one that did not make it past a year.
I also have Harvest Moon, which is new to me and I planted last fall, so I hope that does well. I love the specialty coneflowers and am a bit of a sucker when I see them for sale...

Interesting note - I have one coneflower called razzmatazz, which is a double flowering one. It is over 10 years old! I actually dug it up and brought it with me when we moved cross country and it survived LOL. This is it in full bloom. Not super tall, but I love it.

I like that one, Lori.

Tiki Torch has always been a problem for me. Harvest Moon used to be great but has been poopy the last few years.

Besides the native Purple one which always does well White Swan is my top performer. Too bad it is not my favorite.

Pow Wow Wild Berry and the white do very well.

I have Cantelope, three years now. Magnus is a winner too. Hot Papaya does very well.

I loved Butterfly kisses but it croaked the first winter.

lovemyhouse said:I like that one, Lori.

Me, too. I call it my old friend and each year I get a big smile when I see it has come back again after all this time (including this year).

My Cheyenne Spirit (4 of them) I planted last summer, all came back strongly after the winter, our winter was somewhat mild and drier than usual however.

I've tried a few new varieties of echinaceas over the years. Hot Papaya is blooming now, but it is a lot paler than I expected. The old fashioned purple coneflowers have bloomed beautifully in my sunny bed for 20 years. I have been able to share them with countless friends and relatives. I have some young plants that I plan to spread to a new hillside bed created this spring when I had some steps refurbished. I expect that they will continue to flourish happily for many years.

The purpurea, Raspberry Truffle, Cheyenne Spirit, and Ruby Giant are all still going strong. Second year blooms from Southern Belle, which I like a lot. Rosita is faring okay so far in its second year. Gaillardias are beyond me, yet, but the Coneflowers are good.

Scented Angel, a white scented version, is doing well for 5+ years. Also Magnus. And an unidentified tall fuschia purple one from swapped seeds. Really great results from Cheyenne Spirit.