Echinacea Tomato Soup (Coneflower)

Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' is a great-looking perennial boasting a profusion of huge, bright tomato-red flowers, 6 in. across (15 cm), adorned with large, slightly drooping petals surrounding a prominent brown center cone. Blooming from midsummer until frost, this beautiful coneflower is well-branched and shows excellent vigor. Resulting from a cross between Echinacea paradoxa and Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Giant', it is a feast for the eyes. This mid-size coneflower provides a vibrant floral display in perennial borders, prairies, or cottage gardens. Can be used in fresh cut or dried arrangements.

• Grows up to 24-32 in. tall (60-80 cm) and 32 in. wide (80 cm).
• Thrives in full sun in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerant to drought, heat, and humidity.
• Perfect choice for beds and borders, prairies and meadows, wildflower gardens, or cottage gardens.
• Excellent as cut flowers. If flower heads are not removed in the fall, the blackened cones will be visited by birds that feed on the seeds.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, but deer resistant.
• Remove spent flowers and cut back the stems to encourage further blooms.
• Propagate by division in spring or fall or by root cuttings from late fall to early winter.