Echinacea Mozzarella - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Mozzarella' is a robust variety with many flowers. The large flowers with prominent hearts form a green head that opens up to pure white. Truly attractive, its voluptuous flowers are beautiful from July to September and also ideal for dried or fresh bouquets. It is a very resistant plant that adapts to difficult conditions, tolerating occasional intense heat, humidity, and drought.

Rudbeckia purpurea is a hardy perennial plant belonging to the aster family, originating from the western United States. 'Mozzarella' is a horticultural variety derived from this species. It forms a dense and compact 60 cm (24in) tall clump, measuring 40 cm (16in) wide. The stems are very sturdy, and this plant does not droop during the season. The opposing, lanceolate, green leaves are bristly with rough hairs. The fragrant flowering takes place from July until the end of summer, accompanying inulas, asters, and ornamental tobaccos. It is loved by butterflies. The very branched, green, and hairy stems are each topped by a large solitary head 12 cm (5in) in diameter and with a prominent disc, resembling a pompon of tiny green florets which then turns cream. Around the heart, the white petals are thin, rolled up, and trailing. Birds are fond of the seeds. This plant firmly and deeply anchors itself in the soil, thanks to its highly developed root system.

Rudbeckia 'Mozzarella' offers a very gentle flower colour, easy to mix with echinaceas in brighter tones. It is used in border beds mixed with other white flowers with contrasting shapes (shrubby salvias, dwarf gladioli, daylilies, carnations) or alongside inulas, asters, yarrows, daisies, lightened by the presence of some ornamental grasses. It also adapts well to container gardening.