My Sunset was not as vigorous, and did not return over the winter. Perhaps because I got it late in the season and it was not that well established when the freeze came. I was quite disappointed since they were pricy and beautiful. Curious to see what others have to say.

I also lost sunset, most likely from the amount of rain we've had this winter, it rotted, but, the good news, Sunrise came through with flying colors. I am going to try Sunset again, plant it again this spring so it can have a whole growing season before winter sets in.
I also find them rather pricy but what can I do I am a plantaholic. The instructions that came with my two said not to let them bloom the first season. I'm afraid I'm not that disciplined, I have to see at least one flower.

A......

If Art's Pride comes back, it will be in its third year in my garden. I started with two tiny plants (gifts) in 3" or 4" pots, and they're still pretty small, but slowly growing. With the flowering so far still scant, it doesn't take much Japanese Beetle action to lose the entire show. I bought a couple end-of-season clearance-table Sunsets or Sunrises and planted them right before frost--I'll be curious to see how they fare. So far, I'm not sure that I don't just prefer the echinacea paradoxa when I'm hungry for yellowish coneflowers.

I have "Mango Meadowbrite", which I had purchased in 2005. Mine returned for me in 2006 (unlike my friends, which didn't), but it basically looked the same. IMO, I'd say they don't have the vigor that the purple varieties do. I had "Ruby Star" for a few years that came back crazier every year; same with "Magnus". Maybe they appear to come back heartier & healthier because of reseeding, which I didn't let my Mango do, since any reseeders would've been purple.
Only time will tell if my MM will return; the 2nd half of winter hasn't been good to my beds. I'm already preparing myself for alot of perennial losses :(

I planted quite a few of echinaceas last year - three 'Sunrise', three 'Summer Sky', three 'Harvest Moon', and two 'Sundown'. Today I pulled back the mulch to look for signs of life. Everything appears to have survived the winter in my zone 4b/5a, except two of the 'Harvest Moon' and I am not writing them off yet, as it is only the middle of March, and they may still be "sleeping". The only one of the new echinaceas I haven't tried is 'Sunset', but since others didn't have much luck with that one, I guess I'm not missing much.

This year someone gave me some 'Ruby Giant' seeds, so I will give that one a try, even though, like Dirtdiver, I prefer the warmer colored ones.

I tried Meadowbrite from seed and they didn't come true. I must admit the resulting seedlings were vigorous and grew to over four feet high, but bloomed purple. I really didn't expect to get anything close to the hybrid, but thought I would try anyway.

Kevin

It's way to early here for me to check for signs off life. The snow is still melting. However, my sunrise was two years old last year and quite vigorous. I added more of them since I was so impressed. You can't tell the color much from the picture - a nice soft yellow. But lots of flowers for a long time!

{{gwi:202766}}

I have one E. Paradoxa that I purchased from someone on ebay late summer '05. It came back the next summer and was exactly the same size - small. But it did bloom for me. We moved in late July so I dug it up and replanted it at the new house. As of frost time last fall, it was still alive. I will be anxious to see what it does this year.

Unfortunately, I did not know that seeds from the new hybrids NEVER came out anything but purple, and I bought some on ebay 2 years ago. After reading that no one has ever had anything but purple flowers from them, I never bothered to plant them.

The experiences here make me wonder if I should even try growing them until the price goes down. I have never seen any of the yellows or oranges at the local box stores. The one private garden center we have locally would want much more than I'd be willing to spend, as they do with everything they sell. I had thought about mail ordering them, but may wait a year or two. Thanks for your responses,

Linda ~ Linlily

The Sunrise I put in two years ago didn't make it through the first winter, Sunset did but was rather sickly looking most of the summer. It was looking somewhat better by summer's end. I'll have to wait and see if made it through this winter. We had two weeks of -20 degrees without snow cover. I won't be be to surprised to have some plant losses this year. Now I have to wait for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw before I can look for signs of life.

Linlily,

I found the 'Sunrise' at the one local garden center here, and it was towards the end of summer, so they were on sale. The others I bought online from Garden Crossings, again at the end of the season, so they were on sale too, and I got free shipping, so it didn't cost me much at all. If you don't mind waiting for them, you can probably get a deal towards the end of the season.

Thanks for the info highalttransplant. I will keep the Garden Crossings name on a post-it note near the computer and check out their website in late summer. Do let us know how your plants made it through the winter.

Linda

Linda, I discovered yesterday the 7 seedlings I grew for you are starting to come up. Ross burried the pots under a lot of leaves and they are now growing. I hope you get some beautiful colors other than purple. I put them in the greenhouse yesterday and I'll plant them up when they get more leaves.

I also found my prolifs you gave me, they are growing. They were also in pots burried under the leaves. The tulips you gave me are also up, they are going to be beautiful.

Have a great day,

Cathy

I broke down and ordered 4 of the new Echinaceas from ebay. From the price and the description, I know they are going to be VERY small starter plants. It is early in the season though, and they will have plenty of time to grow and get established. If I lose them, I won't feel so bad losing $6.99 a piece, verses $14 that I seen in the past. Coming to live here are Harvest Moon, Summer Sky, Sundown, and Sunrise.

Cathy, I really appreciate you starting the seeds for me. At the time I bought them, I did not know that there was very little chance that I could get the newer colored Echinaceas from open polination of the same, hybrid plants. From the reading I have done since, all plants grown from seeds of the newer hybrids revert back to the
old-fashioned purple coneflowers. Maybe we'll get lucky Cathy!

Linda

One of the disadvantages I see in waiting until the fall clearance sales is that the plants that have sometimes languished all season in the stores do not have enough time, or vigor as they are already slowing in growth, to establish themselves before winter sets in, hence the losses over winter.

What one saves in buying an "end of the season bargain" can be often squandered in lost time growing during the current season, lost of the plants over winter, and more good money thrown after bad in replacement plants the following spring.

It's too early to tell how vigorous they are. I find all echinaceas take a two-three of years to settle in before they perform well. Even my E. purpurea sulks for a year or two after I divide it.

My new echinaceas are doing as expected. I forget their names though -- Twilight, Sunset and one of redder ones. I expect them to put on some weight next year. They've only had two winters so far, including this one.

I planted Kim's Knee High four years ago, and lost two plants last spring. The third came back but was no longer true to form (it came back tall and gangly). Our winters weren't harsh either; it seemed more like the plants just wore out to me.

My experiences:

- Location: South-facing, 3rd floor balcony garden (top floor). Plants are grown in decent-size pots in full-sun year round.

- Performance: The comparison plant will be my purple "Magnus" coneflower. I bought it back in 2003, and it has performed very well, coming back year after year, and growing to a good size each year. I'll easily get 12+ flowers off of the one plant each year, and it has been pest and disease free.

The comparison plant is "Sunrise" which I bought in April of last year (2006). It has actually performed just as well as "Magnus" and put on an equally impressive display the first year. No problems with disease or pests, either. It is also in the process of coming back from the winter without any problems, despite an extremely cold second half to the winter and being grown in a flowerpot outside. I just hope that the late freezes we may be having later this week will not be a problem.

Note that "Sunrise" seems to grow on an earlier schedule than "Magnus." It is coming back from the winter a bit sooner, and it flowered a bit earlier last year, too.

So, I only have 1 new plant to compare, but thus far, I am impressed. I forget how much I paid for it, but it was well under $10.00 at a local garden store last year (family-run, not a big-box store).

Planted 2 'Sunrise" and 4 paradoxa plants last year in june. All survived, and have grown massively. New shoots are about 2" tall now. The Sunrise grew faster than any purple echinacea I have. 1 of the paradoxa was planted as a 1 gallon size and is growing very nicely, and the other 3 (3 inch pot seedlings from an herb seller) are nearly as big as the gallon size one was last year. Thinking of getting 'Sunset' this spring, as I really like its color.

George

I bought Sunset and Sundown 2 years ago, after tracking them down from a test vendor. I wanted the orange. I had the Art's Pride from the Meadowbrite series, but was bored with its flopping.

Although late to come out, I cannot rave enough about how gorgeous and scented the Big Sky two are. Their stalks were big, tall and firm. The flowers were giant. The center picky part didn't mold or mildew. They were so gorgeous I deadheaded vigilantly, so they bloomed almost through November.

Beneath them sprawled the delicate Art's Pride. Oh, the color is nice, but the Big Sky set are FABULOUS.

Environment: I get extremely little rain for my area. I live in something (evidently) called an "Atmospheric Trough" where people as close as 1/4 mile away from me will have a huge, damaging thunderstorm, but all I get is run-off. No joke. You can literally drive OUT of rainstorms onto my street. What this means, is that not only is my full sun very full and hot, but that the environment is very dry. The soil was a raised bed of top soil and leaf compost I built the same year as I bought and planted the Big Sky.

I can't tell you how much I look forward to these this year. I even bought two more last fall for another part in the garden. They are stunning.

Christine

Update: the late frosts in April didn't have any negative effects on "Sunrise" or "Magnus" so they continue to grow along, with "Sunrise" in the lead.

Still can't tell if mine are going to be back or not.

My 'Sunrise', 'Summer Sky', and 'Sundown' are all up and made it through an 18 degree night with only minor leaf damage. Two out of the three 'Harvest Moons' are definitely no shows though : ( I had them planted next to the 'Sundown's and am trying to decide what to replace them with. I have a few rudbeckia sprouts that might look good there, but I don't think I want to pay for more 'Harvest Moon's if they are not hardy.

I planted 'Sundown,' 'Sunrise,' and 'Harvest Moon' last year, all in essentially the same conditions. 'Sundown' is roaring back with shoots as thick as my thumb. 'Sunrise' didn't even make it through the summer - just started to turn black one day and disappeared. 'Harvest Moon' limped along all summer and fall, no signs of life so far this spring.

- Steve

Anyone have updated information to share on the comeback of their new hybrid echinacea's?

Linda

I planted Sunset, Sundown and Twilight last year. I definitely lost Sunset. Haven't confirmed other two yet. Forgot about them til this note popped up! Too rainy and dark now to look.

Sunset was planted last spring in a dry sandy sunny bed. Two of them were planted next to each other. Our snow cover was sketchy this year, but I have a feeling that had nothing to do with it.

And what a beauty it was...

{{gwi:202767}}

My Sunset of 3 years ago is back. The 3 fall planted Sundowns are all goners. Forgot to check the bed our garden club plants and maintains at the county fairgrounds. Will look, next time I'm there.

It looks like all mine came back although a few just planted last year are very small (easy to mistake for a small weed). Those that think you might have lost them, especially in zone 4 or 5, may just need to wait longer. I've found them sometimes late to show signs of life.

Three Sunrise which were planted in 2005 are up and doing fine. These are close to a foot tall already. One of them, which was hit by some sort of fungus late last summer and withdrew from the scene before the others in the fall, returned and looks healthy but is much smaller than the other two plants.

Sundown, Twilight, & Harvest Moon which were planted in 2006 have all returned. Orange Meadowbright (Art's Pride) has not shown any sign of return yet. These 4 were all planted in a raised bed to keep them a bit drier than most of my garden beds. They are about 6 inches high now.

Razzmatazz which was also planted last year in a regular garden bed is up and quite tall & bushy already.

Two large long established patches of regular purple coneflower (mixtures of Ruby Star, Magnus, White Swan, unknowns, seedlings, etc.) are also up but only about 2 inches high at this time. All the new hybrids are taller than these at this time.

All my Big Sky Echinaceas came back and looking stockier than when I planted them last year. The exception is Sunset which I got mail order a few years ago and is still small and barely bloomed last summer. I wonder whether it is worth buying a full sized plant and seeing if it does better. By the way the Meadowbrite, Art's Pride, are a different variety and are not reported to be as successful as the Big Sky. I really love these plants. Beautiful cutting flowers for many weeks, with perfume too. They do attract Japanese Beetles so I walked through them daily last summer with my jar of soapy water. But that is the only problem I have had so far. Like many of us they self seed so readily that I have to find a spot to try some without chancing the takeover of the traditional ones. I do see seeds of some on sale now so some varieties must seed true. LOVE these plants.

joycenh,

Do you remember where you have seen seeds for the new hybrids? I bought a package of open polinated seeds from a few of the hybrids on ebay and a friend is growing them in her greenhouse. They are two years old and two have buds that look like they will be opening soon. The greenery on each plant is different - one plant has long and slender leaves, another has leaves that look like the regular purple coneflowers, another has lighter green (lime green) leaves and the fourth is completely different than any of the other three. We are waiting to see what we get!

Linda

I planted two Sunrise last Spring. They weren't huge but flowered nicely last year. They are coming back vigorously this Spring, a bit taller than the purple Echinacea and 'White Swan'.

This is what they looked like last July:
{{gwi:202768}}

Can't wait to see what they'll look like this year!

I've had rotten luck with Art's Pride, Sunrise and Sundown...but it may also be my soil which is heavy clay and I've only been here to amend it since 2005, so it will take a while. I'm not sure I'm going to try again, because I'm already on strike 2 (I replace 3 xs then forget it).

Both Sundown and Twilight have increased a bit. They both bloomed very well last year with two or three stems. I'm hoping for a bouquet look this year. I picked up another Big Sky one -- Summer Sky I think.

Looks like my Mango bit the dust; absolutely no sign of life.
Double Decker is a double thumbs down. I ordered it 2 years ago from Bluestone and it never returned. I let them know and they sent replacements last spring. Those haven't returned either.
I have 2 other varieties; I'll check back when I know the status...

My Mango Meadowbrite survived its first winter, then promptly came down with Aster Yellows. I pulled it before anything else in the area was affected, and haven't had the heart to drop $16 for another one.

Sundown, Ruby Giant and Razzmatazz all made it through here in Zone 5.

I only have Sunrise, purchased from a local roadside stand that gets Proven Winners. Planted 3 and it looks like there's a good increase so far. They're about 6-8" tall, I think. Gotta love a sunny-daisy-looking-flower!!!

Here is the scorecard on my echinaceas:

Sunrise - all three are up, 6 - 8" tall so far

Summer Sky - same

Sundown - both made it, though one is going strong and even has a bud on it, while the other one looks like it is struggling, not sure what is wrong with it

Harvest Moon - 2 out of 3 did not come back. The one survivor is tiny, only a couple inches of growth so far.

The forecast is calling for lows around the freezing mark the next couple of nights, so will have to wait and see if there is any damage.

Just an update on the ones (4 different Big Sky Series plants) that I bought on ebay. I think all were plugs that were repotted into long, but very narrow pots. They have been in the ground for over a month and are growing VERY slowly. If they don't pick up speed, I doubt they will bloom for me this year. But,since the price was right, I can be patient.

Linda

Great post. Very informative. Thanks for reviving it. Conversations like this make me appreciate GW all over again!

Finally, after 4 years of floppy, unsubstantial, delicate flowers, the Art's Pride Meadowbrite bit the dust. It was always such a beautiful color, though.

I can tell you that for the 3rd year, my fabulous Sunset and Sundown are vigorously back. I am thrilled with these, their color, durability, their strength.

I'm starting a blue and yellow garden and am trying to find Sunrise and Harvest Moon for that garden. These are amazing.

What color is Summer Sky?

Christine

I recently bought Summer Sky and Sunset. I planted them about two weeks ago and I'm amazed at how much they have grown since being planted. Summer Sky is even growing faster than Sunset. I can't wait to see the blooms on this one!

I bought 10 Sunrise last year at the very end of the season (late October) when they were heavily discounted. I have an area where a tree was cut down, and that I am extending my garden into, but without a plan at the time I just placed the pots in the gound to over-winter. Every one has survived, and they are growing strongly. I also did the same with some Echinacea Hope, as well as Fragrant Angel, but they are not as vigorous and I lost some (but they were not as strong when I bought them).

Hi cfmuehling,

Here is a description of Summer Sky from an on-line source:

The first bi-color echinacea from the Big Sky TM series. Huge 5 inch, very fragrant flowers. Peach petals with a rose colored halo on the cone.

I purchased this one this spring and I hope it is as pretty as it sounds in the description.

Linda

Over here in Maryland, my "Sunrise" that I got in April 2006 is doing very well. It is HUGE, covered with flowerbuds, and started blooming at about the end of May. It is about a month ahead of its cousin purple coneflower "Magnus" and is towering over it right now. "Magnus" was set back a bit from some annoying little black sap-sucking bugs that distorted some of the leaves, but it is growing past that now after I killed the bugs with insecticidal soap.

So, I am quite happy with "Sunrise."

Here is a photo of my first 'Summer Sky' bloom. So far I'm impressed by this plant! Hopefully I'll feel the same way next year.

{{gwi:202770}}

How do all of you like your Summer Sky and other Big Sky coneflowers?

I just picked up 3 "Summer Sky" today for in 1 gallon pots today from the front of Whole foods market. They were 1/2 off - only $4.99 each so I bought all 3 that they had left.

The color seems to be have washed out in the plants, it doesn't look like the picture above, but maybe it's because they've been sitting in front of the grocery store all summer. I love Echinacea and couldn't resist!

At that price you have to get them!!!! I love all my Big Sky Echinacea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11