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Echinacea purpurea 'Red Knee High' PP20411 CPBRAF

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Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
 Common Name: Coneflower-Purple

This dwarf coneflower delivers awesome color impact in the landscape!  Large, rich magenta red flowers are borne in profusion atop knee high plants for several months beginning in midsummer.  They add a terrific punch of color to combination containers and are a sight to be seen when planted en masse in the landscape. 

'Red Knee High' is a sport of 'Kim's Knee High' discovered at Sunny Border Nurseries.

Praised for their large, daisy-like flowers which appear from midsummer thru fall, after many other perennials have finished blooming, Coneflowers are a mainstay in today's garden.  If deadheaded, the bloom cycle will be extended.  However, some spent blooms should be left on the plants in fall because their seeds provide winter food for finches and other birds.  The dried seed heads also provide architectural interest in the winter.

Breeder: Sunny Border Nurseries

Origin: Native Cultivar

Characteristics:



Height:
  18-24 Inches
Spread:
  12-18 Inches
Flower Color:
  Red shades
Foliage Color:
  Green shades
Hardiness Zone:
3,4,5,6,7,8
Find Your Zone
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
How fast should it grow?:
  Medium
When should it bloom?:
  Midsummer
  Late summer
  Early fall
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

Attributes:

Border plants
Container
Cut flower or foliage
Dried flower or seed heads
Drought Tolerant
Mass Planting

Homeowner Growing & Maintenance Tips:

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.


Companions:

Common/Botanical Name
Zones  
Asclepias tuberosa
Common Name: Butterfly Weed
3,4,5,6,7,8,9
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Liatris spicata 'Kobold Original'
Common Name: Gayfeather
3,4,5,6,7,8,9
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Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' PP12909
Common Name: Grass-Ornamental
5,6,7,8,9
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Platycodon grandiflorus 'Fuji White'
Common Name: Balloon Flower
3,4,5,6,7,8
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Rudbeckia fulgida 'Early Bird Gold' PP20286
Common Name: Black-Eyed Susan
4,5,6,7,8,9,10
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Hemerocallis 'Dragon's Eye'
Common Name: Daylily
3,4,5,6,7,8,9
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Phlox paniculata 'Junior Dream' PP16104
Common Name: Phlox-Tall Garden
4,5,6,7,8
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Achillea 'Moonshine'
Common Name: Yarrow
3,4,5,6,7,8
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Fun Facts:

The word "echinacea" comes from the Greek word "echinos" meaning "hedgehog", referring to the flower's spiky central cone.

While every effort has been made to describe this plant accurately, please keep in mind that the height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates throughout the country. The description of this plant was written based on our experience growing it in Michigan (USDA hardiness zone 5) and on numerous outside resources.