Echinacea Kismet® 'Red'

Echinacea Kismet® 'Red': Bold Red Coneflowers on a Short Frame

Scarlet-red daisies on compact, dark stems, glowing like the brake lights in front of you at rush hour. 'Red' blooms the first year and keeps it lit. STOP AND STARE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Echinacea 'TNECHKRD'
• 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: Large scarlet-red daisies with an orange-brown cone, on compact, dark stems
• Bloom Time: Early summer to fall (June to October)
• Foliage: Dark green, forming a compact, upright clump
• Features: Blooms the first year

Where to Plant: Its short, tidy habit makes it a natural for the front of a sunny border, a pollinator patch or a large container on a hot patio. Red reads from across the yard, so plant it in groups of three or five.

Companion Plants: Plant KISMET® 'Red' in a sunny, dry bed with ruby ice plant, blue catmint and black hollyhocks. Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Ruby' carpets the front at 10 to 15 cm with ruby-red flowers from May to September. Nepeta Whispurr™ Blue adds lilac-blue spikes at 61 to 71 cm from June to September. Alcea 'Blacknight' rises at the back to 150 to 180 cm with black-purple hollyhocks in July and August. Schizachyrium scoparium adds a native little bluestem at 60 to 120 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. Coneflowers dislike soggy feet, especially in winter, so loosen heavy clay or plant on a slight mound. Water regularly through the first season, then only during long dry spells. Deadhead to keep buds coming. If you plant in fall, give it a light mulch once the ground freezes so it gets through its first winter. Leave the last flower heads for winter interest and cut the stems back in early spring. Hybrid coneflowers don't need regular dividing and resent much disturbance. If a clump needs refreshing after a few years, divide it gently in spring.

History: The Kismet® series comes from Terra Nova® Nurseries in Oregon, bred from crosses between Echinacea species for more crowns per plant, more first-year flowers and better winter survival. The genus name comes from the Greek echinos, meaning hedgehog, for the spiny cone.

Final Thoughts: Perfect for small beds and big personalities. LOW MAINTENANCE, HIGH DRAMA, EXACTLY HOW WE LIKE IT.