I have 3 big beds with tons of purple coneflowers and started noticing this problem a year or two ago with many of my coneflower plants (I don't have any of the newer hybrids). I used to chalk it up to some weird mutation, as I never noticed a pest problem or discoloration/blight problem. I usually just deadhead the cones with no petals and hope for the best. I have noticed this year that on some of my coneflowers the first bloom or two were 'normal' looking but then the subsequent blooms (after deadheading the spent ones) were lone cones. Last year was worse than this year, however. I wouldn't worry too much about your other plants being affected. I have many different plants in the same beds with the affected coneflowers and they have never been bothered. Also, I should probably tell you I rarely disinfect my pruners (I know it's bad, but I'm lazy) and the vast majority of my plants were planted from seeds of one or two store-bought plants about 7 years ago. I would love to figure this out!

I was thinking along the same lines this year - the coneflowers are definitely the dominant bloomer in one of my beds this year. On one hand, it's really pretty this nice swath of pink and white all in bloom, but on the other hand I'm thinking I need to cull some and get some other tihngs that bloom around this time. This bed isn't big enough to let them completely take over. I thought I did cull enough - I was much more ruthless this year in pulling out seedlings this spring, but I guess I need to be even a bit more ruthless, lol. But the butterflies are indeed loving them, and that's a good thing. I'm sorry that your coneflowers are not giving you any joy, RyseRyse. Mine are actually probably pretty darn beetle-eaten, (as usual) but if I look at them from far enough away, especially when the butterflies are out, they look good! I'll enjoy them while they are here, and worry about pulling them out either in the fall or the spring. It is just too darn hot right now, and yes, in this weather gardening (especially weeding and pulling) can become drudgery, so I'll wait till it cools off! Dee

Coreopsis is a great cut flower--very summery and wildflowery looking. All flowers should have all foliage below the water line and most above removed for long vase life. Cut the stems on a diagonal, as mentioned above, and put them in water up to their necks for a couple of hours or overnight. Then arrange in clean water. I keep cheap old vases from the florist for the conditioning phase. You can keep most flowers for a week this way and I have gotten over two weeks from many. Just change the water and recut the stems a bit. And clean all your vases with bleach, soap and hot water. Bacteria kills flowers fast.

Oswegian, the information in that link is incorrect. I'm certain if you contact Ron Smith about it, he will correct it. Or, since you live so far away from me, _I_ have no objection to you keeping those diseased plants to see what they look like next year, but your gardening neighbors might not appreciate it. Deb Brown is a horticulturist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service: Deb Brown, here, on aster yellows on purple coneflower: Ron Smith is a really good horticulturist, but I think he's off on this plant path recommendation. When you see these symptoms, the best course of action is to rogue the plant... pull it out and destroy it. There is nothing that will cure it. Craig Winters, a Master Gardener in West Otter Tail: I have not heard that aster-yellow infected plants will 'outgrow' it. I have not seen this happen. It is a disease with no way to treat. Any infected plants I pull out immediately and throw (NOT compost). I usually get about 4-6 coneflowers a year get infected. But I probably have about 20 new ones from seed each year! Barbara Gasterland, an MG in Hennepin County: If it is aster yellows then the plants will NOT grow out of it. They may not have the same distortion next year if they winter over but it does not go away. You did the right thing by yanking the infected plants. I can sympathize it's tough to do sometimes. If left in the garden the plants will probably be less hardy and not make it through winter. And the longer you leave it in the garden it is just letting the leafhoppers spread it from that plant to another. At least that is my understanding. Ah yes a search sez I hit it right. www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/plants/BG447.html Here's a Info U link on Aster yellows to confirm. Would it be nasty to send it to the Extension in ND? Paula Denman is another MG in Henn. Cty: I've always been told to remove them ASAP. It's herbicides that plants can "outgrow." Unless we've new info yet to be released! It's a little unnerving to see this recommendation in print from an Extension horticulturist. I think you get the idea; I'll spare you the rest of the responses I expect to get over the next few days.