Echinacea Sombrero Poco™ Hot Coral

Echinacea Sombrero Poco™ Hot Coral: Full-Volume Coral From a Pocket-Sized Plant

Bright coral-orange petals that look like they've been on vacation somewhere you can't afford. This coneflower stands up straight, drinks almost nothing and keeps its tan all summer. SPF? NEVER HEARD OF IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Echinacea hybrid 'Balsomcor'
• Common Name: Coneflower
• Series: Sombrero Poco™, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 61–66 cm (24–26 in)
• Spread: 41–46 cm (16–18 in)
• Flowers: Bright coral-orange petals around a brown cone
• Bloom Time: Summer (July to September)
• Foliage: Green, on a sturdy, upright plant
• Features: Good cut flower
• Plant Patent: USPP 23,097

Where to Plant: It is narrow enough to tuck into the middle of a sunny border and upright enough to be the tall centre of a container. Plant a few together in a pollinator bed for a bigger hit of colour.

Companion Plants: Agastache 'Blue Bayou' adds blue spikes at 41 to 46 cm from July to September, a strong partner for hot coral. Iris 'Rosalie Figge' gives purple flowers at 90 to 100 cm in June and July, before the coneflowers peak. Pennisetum Prairie Winds® 'Lemon Squeeze' brings a soft, arching grass that flowers from July to October. All three like full sun and give the bed a mix of spikes, swords and plumes.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun, six hours or more, in average, well-drained soil. Coneflowers resent wet winter soil, so loosen heavy clay or plant slightly high. Water regularly the first season, then only during long dry spells. Remove spent blooms to keep it flowering. Leave the last flower heads standing for winter interest and seed-eating birds, then cut back in early spring. Divide in spring if the clump gets crowded.

History: 'Balsomcor' was patented in the United States as USPP 23,097 and belongs to the Sombrero® family of hybrid coneflowers from Darwin Perennials, now sold under the Sombrero Poco™ name. Its ancestors are coneflowers native to the prairies of central North America.

Final Thoughts: Give it full sun and it gives you a beach holiday without the airport. PACK NOTHING. PLANT THIS.