Aren’t these flowers fun? I posted about ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ echinaceas earlier this summer, and now I’m seeing displays of this cultivar popping up everywhere. This photo was taken at Rotary Gardens in Janesville.
At any one time there may be flat, droopy, quilled or spoon-type petals in a wide variety of colors. In this photo there are also some rudbeckias (the golden-yellow flowers) mixed in with ‘Cheyenne Spirit’:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I bought three of the plants this spring. They all have their own personalities. The two planted in the backyard have droopy-style petals. One is red and transitions to more of an orangey-pink:
And its partner looked gold when it first opened, but soon the petals drooped and the color washed away to become an off-white.
The plant in the front yard also had gold petals when it first opened, but those petals stayed gold and flat (no drooping). So far it’s my favorite:
I also spotted ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ at an annual test garden recently:
You can buy ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ plants or start them from seed. I’m awfully tempted to give seed-starting a try. The plants need about 24 weeks from sowing to bloom, however, so the first year they probably wouldn’t be all that impressive. It would certainly be much cheaper to start my own plants to make a bigger display than to buy potted plants at the garden center.
First I have to be sure that this cultivar will survive winter in Zone 5. I should get my first clue next spring.
4 comments
Beautiful coneflowers! Mine have been in full bloom for about a week, except for the whites. Your colors are great. Last week I visited a garden center along the way to our cottage. I picked up a yellow and a light red (summer punch). I’ve ordered 5 roots from Veseys. Hopefully I will get them before the major frosts set in. James
I’m really impressed with this cultivar. I also really like ‘Cleopatra’ that I blogged about back in June. It’s still blooming like crazy in mid-September! I hope you get your roots in time…
Did your Cheyenne Spirit overwinter. I bought three a few days ago , but they won’t bloom this year. Rather small now! James
Yes, both plants overwintered, but I noticed the same thing as you—the plants are small. It’s very strange. Mine are blooming about the same amount as last year, but they are buried among taller annuals. I wonder what that’s about?
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