First of its kind!

Everyone has probably seen the old purple coneflowers that grow along old homesites right?  Well did you know that the world of coneflowers have been turned upside down?  The very first orange echinacea or coneflower in cultivation was 'Orange Meadowbrite'.  It was a controlled cross of Echinacea paradoxa and Echinacea purpurea, which is a yellow one bred to a purple one.  This has been around for only a few years, but I truly think it's one of the best.  The colors are a bright orangey red that stand out good in the heat and drought of the summertime.  Coneflowers will always hold a special place in my heart, because if you can't grow coneflowers - you should find another hobby other than gardening!  :)

This is an actual picture of the plant right before it will burst into bloom at my mothers house.  It has been planted there for around 8 years now, and is still going strong!  The plant holds itself up well and my mother loves the variety of the seedlings that come from this beautiful orange flower.  Coneflowers are heavily in the breeding process by some of the world's top plant breeders.  Keep your eye out because there are some beautiful colors coming out that range from a bright red to a bright yellow and everything in between - including doubles!

Lastly here is another one planted at my mothers called 'Harvest Moon', if my memory serves me correct.