I almost yanked out my Echinacea ‘Razzmatazz’ plant last summer, but it was given a last-minute stay of execution. This year will be its third year in my garden, and it better put on a show this summer if it knows what’s good for it.
This double purple coneflower is all the rage in the perennial world. When the plants were first available, they were selling for as much as $14 for a plant in a 4-inch pot. That’s insane. For that price, it better talk and dance on command. I waited until the following year to buy one when they were less expensive.
‘Razzmatazz’ grows 30 to 35 inches tall in full sun. My plant tested my patience last summer by taking forever to grow. Even though it had a head start by several weeks, the nearby zinnias that I transplanted to the garden in mid-May quickly overshadowed it. To make matters worse, it had only 3 or 4 blooms on it all summer. The description of ‘Razzmatazz’ says it’s not bothered by pests or diseases, but Japanese Beetles just laugh off that analysis.
About the time I was ready to throw in the towel and dig it up, I read in a magazine that ‘Razzmatazz’ has a great fragrance. The next time I was in my garden, I stuck my nose in a blossom. The scent was certainly interesting, but I’m not sure I would say the plant is fragrant. You really have to plunge your nose in deep to smell anything.
I don’t know why I changed my mind about getting rid of ‘Razzmatazz.’ To tell you the truth, I think the flowers are kind of homely. I hope that this is the year it will finally show me what all the excitement is about.