The new Echniacea hybrid ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ by Fleuroselect appeared in garden centres everywhere this summer, and I was quite taken by it.
This photo above from the Fleuroselect website shows the complete range of colours the hybrid includes, so the pictures of my Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ are perhaps misleading… this colour mix ranges from deep banana yellow to crimson, going through various pinky reds and orangey reds along the way. I picked a lovely orangey red with a hint of pink as the flowers fade, and with a deep red centre…
This plant is safe and sound from slug attack – in a pot and on a bench, well out of reach! As with all my other Echinacea bought over the years it will be planted out in autumn, I will delight at seeing it reappear in spring, and then before I can say ‘copper tape’ it has been devoured by the hungry slimey creatures who rule my garden!
Still, for one season of gorgeous blooms it was worth the few euros spent on it. 😀
In our climate Echinaceas flower from July through to October. They are great for vases – the seed heads too, which I leave standing until the stalks collapse in winter. A good mulch in autumn will add some protection and possibly help against slugs in the spring.
I am joining Kimberley at Cosmos and Cleome again this Thursday, to feature a plant I grow, so pop over and pay her a visit too!
Words and Herbs 
Great colour and form…and beloved of bees too.
Yes, the bees are an important factor when I buy plants. 🙂
It is a lovely hybrid. I’m amazed that slugs eat those coarse, hairy leaves. Maybe it is a regional taste preference? Thankfully, mine are left alone. (I get worms in the seed heads, though. Since I suspect they are butterflies, I let them be.) However, slugs are putting holes in my tomatoes – grrr!
And I am always amazed at what they DON’T eat! LOL! I am certain that tastes do vary from garden to garden though. I had no idea slugs go for tomatoes!
I need ducks!
Truly fiery colours, perfect for autumn. Damn those pesky slugs and snails though! You have my sympathy 🐌
I just try and grow things they don’t eat, but it is frustrating at times! 🙂
It is an amazing colour; I struggle with Echinacea because they need quite a good amount of water, I have some in the cut flower beds that I’ve left to use as dried stems later in the year as I wasn’t sure how long they would last in a vase.
They last several days in a vase, but I do love using the seed heads too in autumn. 🙂
I’m really attracted to the oranges, though the standard pink ones seem to be hardier. I’m starting to appreciate the orange cones against the pink petals. Didn’t know they were slug bait but I guess just about everything is.
Yes, they will at least try everything and if it tastes good they tell their friends. 😉 I have one pink echinacea which sometimes makes it through the slug onslaught in spring, but the leaves are usually shredded even then! (No sign of it this year…)
Great color! Though I don’t plant Echninaceas anymore because of aster yellows.
I’m assuming ‘aster yellows’ is some kind of disease? Or a pest?
It’s a viral disease. Echinaceas seem to be especially susceptible.
Thanks Jason.
[J] Ouch! Too hot for me. I need to live somewhere where you can look at the flowers and still wear a jumper! Bet they suit D just fine, though” ;~)
With the strong light and heat here we are always glad of some strong colour in the summer, and these colours glide so well over into autumn too. 🙂
That is one wow plant. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome John!
What a gorgeous plant and gallery of images, the Cheyenne mix is great too. Perfect autumnal colours. I stick to the species pinks in the borders, even they don’t seem to thrive for long.
Thanks Kate! I think everyone has the same problem with Echinacea, and yet more and more hybrids appear every year. Perhaps they should work on an indestructible one instead… I wouldn’t mind what colour it is! 😉
Those orange tones transform the flower don’t they? I love them. I’ve tried to grow red and orange echinacea from seed, but they don’t flower the first year and then as you say don’t re-appear for long the next. It’s a great idea to buy in flower and enjoy in a pot.
I have grown them in pots for the last few years now and it means I get 100% pleasure out of the plant for one year at least! I shall persevere with planting them out and who knows, I may get a slug-resistent one at some stage! 😉
They have something like this growing in our local community garden, stands out with its “shocking” colours.
These are great for big blocks of colour in park planting I imagine. They are probably taller when planted in the ground too.
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That sure is pretty, Cathy! I’ve never considered growing Echinaceas in pots, but it might be something worth trying, since every time I try to grow them in the garden, the freaking woodchucks eat them! If we get a lot of rain, we have slug problems, and they are fond of my marigolds, but usually they’re not an issue. I use a product called “Sluggo” that works quite well to get rid of them. Again, though, I really like that Echinacea, and think the color is divine! Thanks for taking part!
I could imagine a pot of these on your pretty veranda Kimberley! I grow most of my annuals in pots too, as it is so depressing watching freshly planted seedlings just disappear overnight with a slimey trail around where they stood! I don’t use any chemicals at all in my garden as I worry small creatures might also be affected, so I just have to adapt my growing methods! 😉 Thanks for hosting! 🙂
I’m not a big chemical user, either, but Sluggo is an organic product that can be safely used around pets and wildlife, as well as around edibles. It’s also not harmful to bees. (Sorry if I sound like an advertisement! Just want you to know I’m careful about what I use in the garden!)
We have a similar product here too. I can’t bear the thought of killing anything though… well, except wasps and mosquitoes! 😉
Those are beautiful flowers and photos.The colors are effervescent. Do you find that hybrid flowers die faster than regular flowers?
I can’t say I have noticed a difference actually. I would expect them to be just as longlasting, as I know they undergo years of testing before getting licensed. Food for thought though, Vinny. Thanks for your comment!
Oh ok. That makes sense. Thanks for responding.
Great photos of the echinacea Cathy. Didn’t realize there was such a wide range of colors in that line.
Ooh, just found this comment unanswered. Apologies, Susie! There seem to be more and more Echinacea colours on offer here every year, but they don’t always come back after a year or two.