Wicked Coneflower Contrasts Bright Flowers with Dark Stems

Virtues: Wicked is a new hybrid coneflower (Echinacea) that grows just about a foot tall, making it a great choice for small beds, the front of the border or containers. It flowers profusely and over a long period, and its flowers remain a consistent bright pink.

Common name: Dark Shadows Wicked coneflower

Botanical name: Echinacea xhybrida Dark Shadows Wicked

Exposure: Full sun

Flowers: Glowing watermelon-pink flowers appear in profusion from midsummer into fall. The flowers stems are very stiff and upright, holding the flowers in a tight, level bouquet. The central cone of the flower is a deep rusty brown.

Foliage: The leaves are lance shaped and pine green. Along with this plant's chocolate-brown stems, they provide great contrast to the bright pink flowers.

Habit: This plant is an herbaceous perennial. A compact coneflower, it grows 12 inches tall and 14 inches wide, making it a great option for containers. The foliage makes a dense mound at the base of the plant, from which the flowering stems rise.

Origin: This is a hybrid echinacea introduced by Terra Nova Nurseries in 2020.

How to grow it: Provide average soil with good drainage. Water regularly, especially in the first season as the plant is getting established. Leave the declining stems and foliage standing over winter, then cut it away in early spring to make way for new growth. USDA Zones 4–9.

Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries.