Echinacea 'ALOHA' coneflower

Aloha coneflower is a mid-sized variety with strong stems and an interesting shade of golden yellow ray florets surrounding orange centres. They are produced in two layers which is a reason some gardeners classify Aloha a semi-double variety. The flowers are attractive for butterflies, bumble bees, and also bees can find a way to suck some nectar from them. Flowering begins in about mid July and when the top flower is finished just deadhead it and the stem will continue producing buds and flowers that will keep popping up until late summer or early autumn. Leaves are deep green, lanceolate and may suffer from diseases if grown in wet or compacted soil.

Aloha coneflower is a hybrid variety bred by a young and successful breeder Harini Korlipara of Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon, USA. It is a cross between echinacea paradoxa and Echinacea purpurea Ruby Giant, patented under PP23,525 in 2013.

The plant is usually trouble-free and resistant, just be careful is slugs are present in your garden. Since coneflowers emerge quite late, often when slugs are already in their lethal strength, they could gobble up newly emerging foliage totally and thus destroy the plant before it even comes out.

Coneflower will tolerate almost any soil type but boggy. It loves full sun. It is suitable for mixed borders with perennials, or can be used as a flowering feature among low shrubs and conifers, and looks lovely when planted in a mass in a container on patios and balconies. Fully hardy to min -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 29-07-2014