Yesterday I posted about ‘Dreamcoat’, a colourful new mixture of echinacea seeds. Well, these new echinaceas are coming thick and fast so today a double-flowered echinacea in a new style.
Double echinaceas have been around for a few years now but they’ve all been in much the same style. Varieties like ‘Razzmatazz’, ‘Pink Double Delight’ and ‘Coconut Lime’ resemble shuttlecocks with a tight cone of short petals at the top and longer petals swept back at the base.
Now comes ‘Pink Poodle’, in rose pink with a green eye, and it’s flowers are different. They’re flatter, fluffier and much more like those of a double zinnia or a decorative dahlia. The plants reach about 80cm/32in high and are more sturdy and well-branched than many so are better able to support the heavy double flowers than the taller, weaker ‘Razzmatazz’, for example - even though they're 10cm/4in across.
And another thing I noticed. In the first picture (click on the pictures to enlarge them) you’ll see that many of the rosy pink rays have a tiny stain of red at the their tips. It really adds to the effect.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Poodle’ can be ordered now from Plants of Distinction.