IN THE YARD: Coneflowers

Coneflowers

Photo provided by LSU AgCenter Purple coneflower, a native of the Midwest, has been adopted by Southern gardeners. PowWow Wild Berry, above, was an All-America Selection winner last year. Look for Cheyenne Spirit next year.

PowWow Wild Berry purple coneflower is an All-America Selection winner from last year. Look for another All-America Selection coneflower, Cheyenne Spirit, next year.

Purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, join other favorites among Southern gardeners. Plant with perennials rudbeckia, salvia, coreopsis, lantanas, Shasta daisy, verbena and buddleia.

Blue Chip is one of the “new” butterfly bushes from Proven Winners. It’s in the Lo and Behold group of buddleia that includes Purple Haze.

With these exotic names, we have to be careful ordering online. We might order Purple Haze buddleia and find Abita Beer on the porch.

I’ve had worse mixups ordering through the mail.

Blue Chip has bluish-purple flowers on a mounding plant that grows to 24 to 30 inches. The dark green foliage likes full sun and well-drained soil.

Ice Chip and Lilac Chip are new colors in the group. Again, be careful ordering online. You could end up with ice cream melted over your bottles of beer.

Cheers.

Ed Cullen

Advocate staff writer