Plant Patent Applied For
An entirely new and utterly magnificent color for the Echinacea family, these orange blooms are influenced by rose and red tints at the base, nearly glowing with rich hues that last and last. Sweetly scented and very freely borne from late spring through the middle of autumn on well-branched, tall plants, 'Flame Thrower' is a spectacular new Echinacea, worthy of prime real estate in the sunny border, large containers, and meadow gardens of all sizes. Do not hesitate to add it to your cutting garden as well, for these blooms are superb fresh or dried.
Even if they were simply pink or purple Coneflowers, these blooms would be extraordinary for their ceaseless ability to reappear month after month on strong, sturdy stems. But their unusual color and powerful fragrance lend an exotic air to the presentation. Measuring 3½ inches wide, they bob in the breeze, forming an irresistible landing pad for butterflies, bees, and songbirds. They benefit from prompt cutting or deadheading, but do let the final blooms dry out on the plant in autumn, for their seed-filled cones will dry out, creating a late-season feast that can last into winter for the birds. Few sights are as lovely as these bright daisy-shaped blooms in the sunny garden!
'Flame Thrower' is a vigorous, well-branched, free-flowering Echinacea, measuring about 3 feet high when not in bloom, another 6 inches or so after the flowers appear. Expect it to spread fully 40 inches wide, its numerous flowering stems reaching companionably up and through neighboring perennials from Hemerocallis to Coreopsis. They make splendid neighbors to other Echinacea as well other native perennials from Rudbeckia to Gaillardia. Unaffected by most pests, diseases, and soil types, they withstand heat, humidity, and even drought without dropping a petal, and survive unseasonably cold winters effortlessly. An easier plant is hard to imagine -- they really only need well-drained soil and lots of sunshine to thrive.
'Flame Thrower' will be among the first Echinacea to bloom in your garden each spring, and may just be the last to quit in fall, too. It grows quickly and vigorously, flowers abundantly, and perfumes the sunny garden delightfully. Make it part of your landscape this season. Zones 4-9.
