Echinacea 'Ruby Star'

Echinacea 'Ruby Star': A Jewel-Toned Sentinel of Summer

Commanding in colour and presence, Echinacea 'Ruby Star' elevates the summer garden with broad, ruby-red petals that radiate horizontally from a bold, bronze cone. This cultivar stands tall and proud, offering improved symmetry, deeper pigmentation, and an elegant, architectural form. Blooming from midsummer into early autumn, its upright stems and intense hue attract both attention and pollinators, making it a standout in sunny borders, prairie-inspired plantings, and mixed perennial designs.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 90–100 cm
• Spread: 45–60 cm, forming an upright, well-branched clump
• Flower Colour: Rich ruby-red petals with a coppery-orange cone
• Flowering Period: Midsummer to early autumn
• Foliage: Lance-shaped, deep green leaves with a coarse texture
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Requirements: Average to dry, well-drained soil; drought-tolerant once established

Uses and Benefits: Ruby Star is perfect for bringing bold colour and vertical form to the mid- to back-border. Its long-lasting blooms are beloved by bees and butterflies, and its seed heads provide autumn and winter interest for both birds and gardeners. With its richly saturated hue and stately habit, it pairs beautifully with grasses, blues, and silvers for a dynamic and balanced composition.

Companion Plants: Pair Echinacea 'Ruby Star' with Perovskia 'Blue Jean Baby', whose lavender-blue wands create a soft, airy contrast while flowering in rhythm with the coneflower. Add Calamagrostis 'Avalanche', a variegated feather reed grass that provides vertical texture, gentle movement, and a luminous backdrop for the intense red blooms. Complete the look with Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction', whose ruby-red and yellow-centred blooms echo the coneflower’s tone while softening the composition with their flat-topped clusters.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. Water regularly during establishment; once mature, it is highly drought-tolerant and requires little care. Deadhead to extend bloom, or leave seed heads for winter texture and wildlife value. Divide every 3–4 years in spring to maintain plant health and spacing.

History: Selected in Germany for its horizontal petals, strong stems, and deeply pigmented colour, Echinacea 'Ruby Star' is a refined cultivar of Echinacea purpurea. Its breeding emphasizes bold presentation and structural elegance, blending native durability with ornamental strength for gardens that prize both form and function.

Final Thoughts: Regal, radiant, and resilient, Echinacea 'Ruby Star' adds a bold vertical accent and wildlife value to the summer landscape. When paired with the hazy blues of Perovskia 'Blue Jean Baby', the bright blades of Calamagrostis 'Avalanche', and the ruby warmth of Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction', it creates a layered, pollinator-rich planting full of colour, movement, and natural rhythm. A striking jewel for gardeners who love bold beauty with a wild heart.