Echinacea Sombrero® Granada Gold

Echinacea Sombrero® Granada Gold: Pure Gold for the Hot Driveway Strip

Golden yellow petals on almost black stems, like somebody wore their best jewellery with a little black dress. This coneflower is dressed for a gala and planted in your front yard. THE NEIGHBOURS WILL ASSUME YOU HIRED SOMEBODY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Echinacea hybrid 'Balsomold'
• Common Name: Coneflower
• Series: Sombrero®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 46–56 cm (18–22 in)
• Spread: 56–61 cm (22–24 in)
• Flowers: Golden yellow petals around an orange cone
• Bloom Time: Early to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Very dark green on sturdy, dark stems
• Features: Salt tolerant, good cut flower
• Plant Patent: USPP 30,115

Where to Plant: Put it at the front or middle of a sunny border, or use it as a filler in a large container. It tolerates salt and heat, so a hot spot by the driveway is fair game.

Companion Plants: Echinops ritro stands behind at 90 to 120 cm with round blue globes from July to September, a natural match for gold. Geranium 'Biokovo' spreads at the front with white flowers from May to July. Allium 'Ambassador' adds early purple globes in May and June before the coneflowers open. All three are happy in sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in average, well-drained soil. Heavy clay should be loosened so water doesn't sit around the crown over winter. Water regularly the first season, then only in long dry spells. Deadhead through summer for more flowers. Leave the last seed heads for the birds, then cut back in early spring. Divide in spring if the clump gets crowded after a few years.

History: The Sombrero® series was developed by Darwin Perennials to give coneflowers a compact, well-branched habit and heavy flowering. Its parents trace back to North American coneflowers, which grow wild on prairies and in open woods.

Final Thoughts: Tough on salt, drought and deer, easy on the eyes. STRIKE GOLD, NO PROSPECTING REQUIRED.