Magnus and Mama Mia echinaceas are two award winning varieties along with July echinaceas that are highly recommended for the garden.


Julia Echinacea

Bred by Dutch plantsman Arie Blom, Julia Echinacea is recommended for zones four through eight. These reach about 1½ feet in height. The compact, stocky, strong plants are well branched with strong stems.

The scented blooms are four inches wide. These have tangerine orange petals that age to golden yellow. The cone is the color of copper and turns to an orange-gold as the weeks pass.


Magnus Echinacea

Magnus has long been a favorite variety, and has deservedly received numerous awards for its many superior attributes. Magnus was named the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1998. In 2003, it received a Garden Merit award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

This plant was bred back in the 1980s by Swedish plantsman Magnus Nilsson for which it is named. Magnus was introduced by Jelitto Perennial Seeds. It is suitable for zones three through nine.

Magnus Echinacea is tolerant of wind, heat, and drought. Requiring minimal care, it is considered a breakthrough in terms of growth habit and flower color.

The plants can be three to four feet tall and around 1½ feet wide. It features deep green, healthy leaves. Space the plants two feet apart or so in the garden.

Magnus begins flowering in July and continues into September. These blooms are very long lasting. The nearly horizontal petals aren’t quite as droopy as those of the species plant.

Initially, the petals are rose-red, rose-carmine, purple-rose, or dark pinkish-red. These are four to five inches wide. The cones are initially orange to brownish-copper, and later change to deep pink or rose-purple.


Mama Mia Echinacea

This outstanding variety was named one of the top ten perennials at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society plant trials. Mama Mia Echinacea is suitable as a cut flower as well as a dried flower. These long stems have a very good vase life.

Mama Mia Echinacea grows to 1½ to 2¼ feet in height with a two foot spread. Flowering occurs from June onward, which is earlier than most other purple coneflowers.

This is recommended for zones four through nine. It does best in full sun to partial sun.

The very large, scented blooms are three to four inches wide, and retain their color for a long period. The petals are orange-red, deep orange with coral, or a combination of pink, coral, and orange-red. When the flowers first emerge, the petals are initially red or orange and then later become coral. The cones are orange-bronze.