You can look up the Hibiscus at www.images.google.com Just type in the plant name. The H. dasycalyx is native to the Neches River Valley of Texas, the H. militaris is more widely distributed. The Neches Hibiscus comes about 60% true from seed, or I can root a cutting. The blooms are similar on both, but the Halberd leaf is a larger shrub, and the Neches has finely dissected leaves like a Japanese maple. lmk Sharon

Karen: "I've done a little reading and from what I've read it isn't unusual for E. paradoxa to take a few years to flower. I'm growing some from seed right now and I know it'll be at least three years before I see flowers." I tried planting some of the seeds in a pot last fall. I eventually brought them in, and they all died. :) Thanks for the info. I wish there were better documentation on the Internet about how long you may have to wait to see flowers. echinaceamaniac: "Prairienursery.com is a good source of paradoxa if you are impatient like me." Thanks--I'll have to remember that. I got mine from Park Seed in Greenwood, SC. Maybe their plants aren't as good. "Patience is important with paradoxa." Maybe they should rename it "Echinacea waitforevera." LOL. "It gets more beautiful every year. It is still the only yellow Echinacea that is worth growing. The hybrid varieties all seem to have something weak about them. They tend to decrease each year in size. Their blooms are fuller and larger; however, they don't compare as far as hardiness goes." I'm glad that I don't have a hybrid then. :)

In the same bed, terrene, are two regular looking pink ones. They are nice and tall but look like the regular E. purpurea. I'm going to ask neighbors if they would like to have them. They are growing right up next to my Sundown and I need to move them. I think you might be right about crossing the Big Sky plants with E. Paradoxa. You might get something really special and different. I have a friend who has offered to grow out some of the seeds from my tangerine orange seedling just to see what we get. I'm definitely taking her up on it. Since Paradoxa has been blooming about the same time as this seedling, maybe more crossing has taken place by the bees. You just never know. It's really awful that the voles ate your tall cross. It sounds like a really nice plant and I love the idea of the tall flowers. Linda

diggerdee, yes, definately japanese beetles. I fought them with roses for years until I finally decided to move on to a plant that bloomed longer and therefore was worth the fight! I have been picking them off everyday for about 4 days and dropping them into a bucket of suds and water and I have not seen any on my echinacea or dahlias (they were eating those, too) for about 2 or 3 days, so maybe that is working. I hope so. Time will tell.