Echinacea purpurea Sunrise - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Sunrise' is a robust, hardy, accommodating and floriferous perennial. Its large, light and fresh flowers bloom all summer long with a row of slightly recurved pale yellow florets surrounding a large orange heart with green highlights. They elegantly contribute to the creation of beautiful and long-lasting bouquets, and their hearts can be used in dried compositions.

Originating from North America, where it has already naturally colonized many states, Echinacea has been with us for many years. It settles spontaneously in wild spaces such as vast meadows, forest edges, and roadsides and can adapt to any type of soil and climate, displaying a robustness and hardiness that gardeners appreciate. However, it prefers deep, well-drained soils and will establish more easily (and therefore resist drought) if initially planted in moist soil. Note that it may take time to establish, but then proves to be resistant and long-lasting. It thrives in the sun but also tolerates light shade. It requires little care, except removing faded flowers as desired.

It is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, with an upright and bushy habit. The deciduous, medium green leaves are hairy and quite thick, lanceolate, longer and more numerous at the base, alternate and sparse along the stems. The stems are long, and sturdy with large heads at their tops. The cross-breeding that most varieties have undergone has multiplied the characteristics of these plants. Colours and shapes are abundant, and everyone will find their favourite among the cultivars now available. They all consist of a heart, sometimes cylindrical and cone-shaped, which can be very prominent and colourful, as with 'Sunrise', which is a beautiful orange with hints of green. It is surrounded by a row of long and slender petals that slightly bend backwards in tender and delicious colours ranging from straw yellow to butter yellow, effectively capturing the sun's rays. These large flowers actively enliven the garden by attracting pollinators. Later on, the achenes (their fruits) take over in autumn, delighting birds.

'Sunrise' is an easy perennial that brightens up flower beds all summer long with its generous and long-lasting flowering. It brings an essential yellow to a multicoloured flower bed, surrounded by Lupins, Achilleas, and Irises. It also enhances the range of blues with softer companions, such as Delphinium 'Pacific Summer Skies' or Phlox divaricata 'Chattahoochee' which it easily fits between with its intermediate height (70 cm (28in)).