Echinacea SUNSEEKERS WATERMELON coneflower
size/type
mid-sized perennial,mid-sized perennial
usual height
0,4-0,5m
usual width
0,3-0,4m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
July-September
location
full sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Echinacea
SunSeekers is a coneflower series bred by Innoflora BV and marketed by Gootjes AllPlant BV from the Netherlands. The first part consists of varieties whose patent names begin with Apecss- and comprises of plants with single flowers of remarkably rich colours. While the second part of the series with patent names beginning with Ifecss- breaks through with a completely new and innovative design of mostly semi-double flowers which recall gerbera and dahlia rather than a coneflower or those with uniquely coloured ray florets. The first and hugely successful variety was SUNSEEKERS SALMON that was awarded Gold Medal by KVBC at Plantarium Exhibition 2018. Since then SunSeekers series is taking the coneflower world by the storm.Description of the plant:
If you are a fruit lover, you must know the tempting sound when cutting into a fully ripe watermelon. The way it is cracking under your knife and the sweet smell whip up your senses so much that once it splits in half you can’t to bite the largest chunk of its bright pink flesh. Hybridizer Glenn Spil must have felt the same way when she first spotted her creation among many other testing plants. No wonder it was later aptly named SUNSEEKERS WATERMELON. It is a modern coneflower hybrid with flowers so full that some may resemble fully double dahlias. They are large and mostly semi-double with 3 to 4 rows of petals in a watermelon pink colour with tangerine hues on young flowers. They ripen to dusky purple. Central discs are not large, rather flat, green first and deep orange later, and hide plenty of nectar for butterflies, bumble bees as well as bees. Flowering begins in July and lasts until the last sunny and warm days of September or even October. Longevity of individual flowers is 2-3 weeks. Plants are compact and well-branched. Stems are usually 40-50 cm tall. Deadhead spent flowers regularly and feed the plants every two weeks during summer. Leaves are healthy, deep green, and lanceolate. SUNSEEKERS WATERMELON was introduced in 2024.The plant is usually trouble-free and resistant, just be careful if 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 is a prairie plant which suggests that it loves plenty of sun and heat and dislikes excess watering. Still, keep it slightly moist in the first year after transplanting, even before and perhaps during winter (if too dry) to help it establish well. From the second year it rarely requires other irrigation than rain. It is suitable for mixed perennial borders 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 about -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
Last update 29-09-2024
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