Echinacea Kismet® 'Yellow'

Echinacea Kismet® 'Yellow': Butter-Bright and Bred to Come Back

Butter-yellow daisies stacked up on a short plant like it's trying to win a flower-count contest at the county fair. 'Yellow' gives you a lot of sunshine in a very small footprint. SMALL CONDO, BIG WINDOWS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Echinacea 'TNECHKY'
• Common Name: Coneflower
• Series: Kismet®, from Terra Nova® Nurseries
• Height: 45 cm (18 in) in flower, with a foliage mound about 40 cm (16 in)
• Spread: 60 cm (24 in)
• Flowers: Butter-yellow daisies with an orange-brown cone, borne in good numbers on a short plant
• Bloom Time: Early summer to fall (June to October)
• Foliage: Green, forming a compact, upright clump
• Features: Blooms the first year

Where to Plant: Use it at the front of a sunny border, in a pollinator bed or in a large container. Its compact size suits small yards and narrow beds along a fence or driveway.

Companion Plants: Plant KISMET® 'Yellow' in a sunny, dry bed with violet, magenta and small blue sea holly. Dianthus Star™ Single 'Neon Star' edges the front with magenta pinks at 15 to 20 cm from May to September. Eryngium 'Blue Hobbit' adds compact blue sea holly at 25 to 30 cm from June to August. Salvia 'Violet Profusion' brings violet-blue spikes at 36 to 41 cm from June to August. Schizachyrium Prairie Winds® 'Blue Paradise' rises at 90 to 105 cm, silvery blue in summer.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. Avoid spots where water sits in winter, and lighten heavy clay before planting. Water regularly through the first summer, then only during long dry spells. Deadhead to encourage more flowers. Fall-planted coneflowers appreciate a light mulch once the ground freezes. Leave the last seed heads standing over winter and cut the stems back in early spring. Leave it undisturbed. Divide gently in spring only if the clump gets crowded after several years.

History: The Kismet® series was bred by Terra Nova® Nurseries in Oregon from crosses between Echinacea species. The goal was more crowns per plant, more first-year flowers and better winter survival, which was a real problem for many early yellow and orange coneflower hybrids.

Final Thoughts: Line the front of a sunny bed and watch it work overtime without asking for a raise. MANAGEMENT IS THRILLED.