Which Big Sky Echinachea?

eclecticcottage

11 years ago

At least I think it's a Big Sky echinachea...it was a lost tag special. Ideas?

Comments (9)

kelsey_grow
11 years ago
Looks like 'Sundown' but can't be sure. . . is there a 'Twilight' too??
wieslaw59
11 years ago
Looks like Sundown to me. You can compare with the picture below. Each flower can be deformed in its own way, so it is kind of exciting.

{{gwi:256091}}
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I planted 4 that I bought on ebay last spring. They were small, about a 3 inch pot. I think they were plugs that had been potted up one size. All four bloomed last year and made it well through the winter. This year they were quite big, the largest was Sunrise. Harvest Moon, Summer Sky, and Sundown were nice sized too. All bloomed most of the summer. We have heavy clay and I always thoroughly amend the soil with compost, top soil, and peat. I would suggest planting these in the spring to give the plants time to get used to their surroundings before cold weather sets in. After reading here about all the problems that so many seemed to have, I worried that my plants might not make it through their first winter, but they came back nicely. Linda
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So I'm back to report that I did end up getting 3 of these echinacea as well as a bare root "Irresistible". The Irresistible had just broken dormancy (a very small sprout) and when planted the sprout died almost immediately and no new sprouts have shown since. It's been 5-6 weeks and I'm wondering if it's ever going to show. There's been no shortage of moisture but we're just now getting some warm weather. Could it be that it's just been waiting for some sun? The Big Sky plants had been potted and came wrapped but they didn't do very well in transit and the foliage died back on those as well after planting. One looks like it's struggling to survive while the others have done nothing. Meanwhile the "Milkshakes" which came fully potted, are doing very well. These glamour varieties, while beautiful, are too pricey for experimenting so if the survival rate is low I will think twice before purchasing again.
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eclecticcottage
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks! I just knew it was an echinacea when I bought it, the buds were still tightly closed so I figured it was going to be a standard purple one. Then it wasn't, lol. Pretty anyway, although I do need to go get me a purple one now :P

wieslaw59, that is one crazy flower. This one overwintered at the nursery I got it from, hopefully that means it's a stronger plant than many seem to be (of the newer ones that are coming out).
wieslaw59
11 years ago
Not many people would call your flower pretty. The range of deformations on mine seemed to be endless. From half flower with petals and half without, to 'each petal with different length' and everything in between.
eclecticcottage
Original Author
11 years ago
It's just starting to open...so I would withhold judgement until then as to pretty or not. Although I guess that is in the eye of the beholder, and could be colored by person experiances...I like the color anyway, even if it's not what I thought it was. I thought the nursery I got it from only did white swan and the common purple ones, but they always seem to sell out of white swan so I figured if it overwintered, it must be a purple one.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
This looks just like deformity caused by Asters Yellows disease.
wieslaw59
11 years ago
Rhizo, which of them do you mean has the asters yellow, mine or eclecticcottage's?
If it is Asters Yellow, then multitude of nurseries were selling it WITH the disease. I have never had asters yellow and had not even heard about it before I found this forum.
eclecticcottage
Original Author
11 years ago
Neither flower looks like it has anything like Aster Yellows to me...
linlily
11 years ago
Grow it for a while and see how more of the flowers open. Sometimes all perennials put out a few flowers that are "different" in some aspect without the plant being diseased.

It looks like E. Sundown to me, but my E. Sundown looks similar to my E. Summer Sky. And, Summer Sky is taller and more robust in my garden than my Sundown. Their coloration is similar however.

Linda

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Which Big Sky Echinachea?

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kelsey_grow

wieslaw59

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Which Big Sky Echinachea?

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kelsey_grow

wieslaw59

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