Echinacea Sombrero® Salsa Red

Echinacea Sombrero® Salsa Red: Fiery Scarlet on Sturdy Stems

Bright red petals that sometimes drift toward deep orange, like the heat level was set to surprise me. This coneflower brings the spice and keeps it coming all summer. MILD IS NOT AN OPTION.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Echinacea hybrid 'Balsomsed'
• Common Name: Coneflower
• Series: Sombrero®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 61–66 cm (24–26 in)
• Spread: 41–56 cm (16–22 in)
• Flowers: Bright red petals, sometimes edging toward deep orange, around an orange-brown cone, up to 7.5 cm (3 in) across
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Dark green, on a sturdy, upright clump
• Features: Good cut flower

Where to Plant: Plant it in the middle of a sunny border, in a hot-colour bed or in a large container. It is also a solid choice for a pollinator garden or a cut-flower bed.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Salsa Red' in a sunny, dry bed with wine-purple pea flowers and magenta cranesbill. Lewisia 'Little Peach' tucks in at the front at 15 cm with peach-pink flowers in May and June. Geranium sanguineum adds magenta cranesbill at 25 to 45 cm from June to August. Baptisia 'Burgundy Blast' brings wine-purple spikes at 90 to 105 cm in June and July. Panicum 'Prairie Fire' rises behind at 120 to 150 cm with blades that turn red by midsummer.

Plant Care: Give it full sun for the best flowering, in average, well-drained soil. It will take a little part shade. Avoid low spots where water sits through winter, especially in heavy clay. Water regularly the first season, then only during long dry spells. Deadhead to keep new flowers coming. Leave the last seed heads standing for winter interest and the birds, then cut the stems back in early spring. Divide in spring if the clump becomes crowded.

History: Sombrero® Salsa Red is a Darwin Perennials introduction, part of a series bred for compact, well-branched, heavy-flowering coneflowers. Its Echinacea ancestors are North American prairie wildflowers, and the genus name comes from the Greek word for hedgehog, for the prickly cone.

Final Thoughts: Pair it with blue flowers for a combo that wakes up the whole street. EXTRA HOT, NO REFILLS NEEDED.