Echinacea Solar Flare - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea 'Solar Flare' is a robust perennial with a long flowering period in a range of very subtle colours. From its tuft of blue-green leaves long black stems emerge bearing large red-magenta heads with a big purple heart. The red gradually fades, giving way to a very soft old pink with a brown heart. In autumn, the achenes (their seeds) take over to the delight of the birds that feast on them. Hardy and accommodating, this summer flower prefers sunny borders and creates large flamboyant bouquets. It actively animates the garden with the pollinators it attracts.

Originating from North America, where it has naturally colonized many states, Echinacea has arrived here and spontaneously settled in wild spaces: vast meadows, forest edges, roadsides... It is content with any type of soil or climate, with well-appreciated robustness and hardiness. However, it prefers deep, well-drained soils and will establish more easily (and therefore withstand drought later) if initially planted in moist soil. It may take its time to settle, but then proves to be perennial. It thrives in the sun, but also in light shade. It requires almost no care apart from removing faded flowers as desired.

It is a herbaceous plant, belonging to the aster family, with an upright and bushy habit. The leaves are green with a hint of grey-blue, hairy, and quite thick. The long, sturdy, black stems carry large heads measuring 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) in diameter at their apex. The numerous cross-breeding efforts have resulted in endless variations of colour and form, and everyone will find their favourite among the multitude of Echinacea cultivars available. 'Solar Flare' comes to us from Georgia, near Atlanta, and originates from the work of nurseryman Richard Saul. The rather cylindrical centre of the head swells during early flowering and gradually transforms into a quite prominent cone resembling a big button. It is surrounded by long and lanceolate ligules arranged in a row. In July they are horizontal, but they sag softly in September with more faded shades.

Echinacea 'Solar Flare' is a beautiful tall perennial (90 cm (35in)) that works well in romantic-style gardens. If you wish to create a composition featuring shades of pink, it will harmonize nicely with its cousins 'Southern Belle' and 'Catherina', Lychnis, Heuchera 'Midnight Rose', and Lupin 'Pink Gallery'. It can also integrate into a purple and black palette, enhancing its dark side. Alternatively, it can provide contrast to grey-blue shades, echoing its foliage.