Terra Nova's new Echinaceas don't have the same problem. I have several of their newer ones, including Tiki Torch and Tomato Soup and not one of them has the distorted blooms.

You have a good idea about finding a good plant and dividing it, but they couldn't produce enough to sell that way. I've also seen a plant with the perfect blooms come back the second year and have the quilled petals. It's only happening with the Big Sky series so at least you can avoid their plants and not have to deal with it. There are some better alternatives to these plants now and the choices are going to get better and better each year. The Big Sky plants aren't really that pretty anyways because the color fades so quickly and the newer plants keep their color much longer.

You could try collecting seeds from your current plant, and you might get a pleasant surprise from the second generation. I received some seeds from Big Sky plants in trade and the new plants do not show the quilling. Just a thought about how to receive some value from the plant you already have.

Becky

I think the best bet to beat the quilled petals problem is to see the plant in full bloom at the garden center before buying it. This won't be a guarantee there won't be a quilled petal or two the following year though. One I bought this spring 'All That Jazz' not blooming yet is supposed to have the quilled petals.

Some are having trouble with 'Sundown' mine has been fabulous but that's not to say it won't have a quill or two next year, time will tell. My 'Summer Sky' has also been great this year whereas 'Sunrise' and 'Sunset' have some quilled petals. The plants are growing really well and healthy looking just the quilled petal thing, I'm thinking it's a genetic quirk some of these varieties have. I intend to keep mine for the time being they just won't be planted in the foreground.

Cosmos has a variety called 'Seashells' with tube shaped petals another genetic quirk? Maybe in time the quills will be bred out of the offenders (new improved :o) or they will have better varieties of the same color, when this happens I'll be first in line to buy them.

Annette

I'm thinking about just planting some orange, red and yellow zinnias next year so I can have some color. LOL.

Thanks for answering my question so quickly. Echinaceamaniac - you answered one question in particular...even if you find a "perfect" specimen of, say Sunrise, it can still come back the following year with "bad" flowers.

So, I planted a few sunflowers from seed this year and they have the same citron color that Sunrise has on a much more substantial flower and without quilting. Go figure lol. I will probably abandon my Sunrise, or move it to a place where I won't see the flower up close but still somewhat see the color. I just hate to rip out a healthy plant. Thanks again everybody!

I just don't get it. All my Big Sky echs are not fading, not crimping, just look gorgeous. I've got them all. If you can tell me what other ech matches 'Sunrise", I'll try it, but Tiki Torch looks more golden than Sunrise's lite butter color.
Pat

Pat - I saw someone's "Harvest Moon" recently and it looked great last year. This year the petals are either quilled or have petals missing, etc. The plant is half as tall as it was the first year.

"Sunrise" starts out a real light yellow, but fades to a dirty white color. There isn't one that exactly matches that color yet, but like I said...it doesn't keep that color long at all.

There is a new one at Terra Nova called "Maui Sunshine." It might be a good one to try. It starts out a brighter yellow, but when the bloom fades, it would probably get close to that light yellow color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maui Sunshine

Oh echinaceamaniac, why did you post that link to the pictures of Maui Sunshine??? lol

Now I am hopelessly drooling and lusting after that one, and I haven't even looked at the rest of Terra Nova's site yet...

Where is that order form? :-)

My Sunrise is going to get ripped out, and all its babies. The flowers are hideous, the few that do have petals are few, deformed and just not very pretty. I'm probably going to plant some rudbeckias for the yellow-gold color I want in that spot instead. I haven't ripped it out yet because I don't want a bare spot, but once I get a replacement, they are going bye bye.

Karen

oh, echinaceamaniac, and didn't I have to see the 'Hot Lava' on that site. Not fair. I wonder how much like 'Red Tomatoe" from White Flower Farm it is. Why couldn't I hate echinaceas?!

I just bought this Harvest Moon about 5 or 6 weeks ago. I love it so far!
{{gwi:248008}}
The 3 top flowers have been around for 4 weeks now.
They start off light gold and change to yellow.
Glad i bought this and not Sunrise. LOL

may, thank you for that picture. Harvest Moon it is. This Forum is getting expensive!

I was certainly lucky with my echinacea purchases from local nurseries. I have had four sunrise in two different locations for three years. They are a lovely buttery yellow, now four feet tall, not quilled and don't fade prematurely. I am not partial to the golder shades but I might consider the brighter yellow of the Terra Nova one. I'd better go look at their website. I have one surviving Sunset that has some quilling and puts out few blooms but I really like its rich coral color. I need to find a good ech in that color to replace it.