Echinacea purpurea 'Doubledecker' |
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Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
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| | Common Name: Coneflower-Purple |
A two-tiered purple coneflower!
Many years ago, German plantsman Eugen Schleipfer found an Echinacea plant that looked very different than the others. Resulting from years of selection is a reliable seed strain with two-tiered flowers. A set of shorter petals rests on top of the cone while a "skirt" of longer, deep rose-pink petals emerge from the base of the cone.
First year plants sometimes produce single flowers. From the second year forward, a high percentage of two-tiered flowers appear with either a single or double set of petals. Occasionally, older plants produce single flowers.
Similar seed strains such as 'Indiaca' and 'Indianer' exist, but 'Doubledecker' is the one that comes directly from Eugen Schleipfer's work. Get ready to do a double-take on 'Doubledecker'!
Praised for their cheerful brightly colored flowers, coneflowers are a mainstay in today's garden. Be sure to leave some spent blooms on the plants in the fall because their seeds provide winter food for finches and other birds. The dried seed heads also provide architectural interest in the winter.
Intro Year: 2004
Origin: Native Cultivar
Characteristics:
Height:
40 Inches
Spread:
24-30 Inches
Flower Color:
Pink shades
Foliage Color:
Green shades
Sun or Shade?:
Full sun (> 6 hrs. direct sun)
Part shade (4-6 hrs. direct sun)
Wet or dry?:
Low water needs
Average water needs
Want to see wings?:
Attracts butterflies
Attracts songbirds
Need critter resistant plants?:
Deer resistant
How fast should it grow?:
Medium
When should it bloom?:
Midsummer
Late summer
How's your soil?:
Poor Soil
Average Soil
Fertile Soil
Sweet or Sour Soil?:
Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0)
Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)
Alkaline Soil (pH > 7.0)
What's your garden style?:
Container/Patio
Prairie
Cottage
Eclectic
Echinacea purpurea is a wildflower native to the eastern United States and is well-adapted to survive the hot, windy conditions typical of that region. If properly cared for, they will form attractive colonies and will live for many years.
Coneflowers like it sunny and hot. Though they will tolerate light shade, fewer flowers will be produced and the plants will be weakened. Light, loamy soils are best but coneflowers will grow in any well-drained soil. Once established, they are quite drought tolerant.
The word "echinacea" comes from the Greek word "echinos" meaning "hedgehog", referring to the flower's spiky central cone.