Twelve years ago I added ‘Ruby Giant’ to my Garden Winners list. This echinacea continues to shine in my flowerbeds. In a bad Japanese Beetle year, the flowers might get a little chewed on, but otherwise this carefree plant with large flowers is still a great option for gardens. Here’s what I wrote in 2008:
Quite a few new coneflower (echinacea) cultivars have been introduced in the last few years, and I’ve tried many of them. But I think the one that stands out from all the others is ‘Ruby Giant.’ I first saw the plant blooming at a botanical garden and I was thrilled by the huge blooms (up to 7″ across) and deep pink color. The plant also had the healthiest foliage I’d ever seen on a coneflower—not a single black spot or yellow leaf in sight.
‘Ruby Giant’ grows 3 feet tall and makes a great back-of-the-border plant. I have some plants growing in full sun and others in partial shade and all of them do very well. ‘Ruby Giant’ blooms for several months in the summer, especially if you keep it deadheaded. The flowers are always covered with bees and butterflies. Unfortunately, it’s one of the Japanese Beetles’ favorite flowers to ravage, but I refuse to surrender when it comes to this gorgeous coneflower.
