Weeks ago I posted about a beautiful coneflower that I discovered this summer, and, while searching for information on it I discovered a whole world of coneflowers from the Cone-fections (trademarked) series, introduced by AB Cultivars of the Netherlands.
These double-flowered coneflowers are so pretty with their abundance of petals covering the entire flower – including the center, creating a frilly ‘pompon’. And ‘Meringue’ is another beautiful example in this coneflower series.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Meringue’ is similar in color to the ‘Coconut Lime‘ with perhaps more of a creamy colored pompom and a green center. One thing that I noticed is that its center and descending petals seem to be more continuous creating a fuller look, where as the Coconut Lime has a distinct separation between its center pompom and petals.
I love the names these coneflowers were given – so amazingly descriptive – it’s like reading a dessert menu.
‘Meringue’ is a easy care plant, tolerating drought, poor soil, heat and humidity. It is hardy in zones 3-8, and blooms from mid-summer through early fall, and hummingbirds and butterflies love them! When many perennials have stopped producing flowers for the year, it’s always exciting to find one that is a late bloomer!
‘Meringue’ would make an elegant border – its height and width ranges from 15″ – 18″ (making it a good choice for a compact spot in the garden) and it is strong-stemmed to hold those big blooms, which make a good cutting flower for a bouquet, too.
If you’re not familiar with the double-flower Cone-fection series, you will be delightfully surprised at what you’ll found – they’re just beautiful.
~M