Echinacea – Summersong Firefinch

Garden Height
12 - 16
Spacing
16 - 18
Spread
16 - 18
Habit
Upright
Container Role
Filler
Flower Size
Short
Flower Colors
Red
Light Level
Part Sun to Sun
Proven Winners
This incredibly colorful coneflower is a mixed strain showcasing shades of red flowers, including reddish-orange and pinkish red. A shorter plant that’s perfect for small spaces.

Features
This incredibly colorful coneflower is a mixed strain showcasing shades of red flowers, including reddish-orange and pinkish red. A shorter plant that’s perfect for small spaces.

Attracts: Bees, Butterflies

Resists: Deer

Drought Tolerant

Fragrant Flower

Long Blooming

Native to North America

Maintenance Notes
Grow in sunny and hot locations with well-drained soils. Tolerates light shade, but best performance is in full sun. Drought tolerant once established.

Needs Good Drainage

Uses Notes

 This plant has had a recent name change to better reflect the plants color.

Maintenance Category Easy

Water Category Average

Bloom Time

Flower Form Border Plant, Container, Cut Flower, Dried Flower, Landscape, Mass Planting

Soil Fertility Average Soil, Fertile Soil, Poor Soil

pH B - pH 5.8 - 6.2

EC (2:1 Extraction Method) 0.6 - 0.9

Fertilization 75 - 100

Light Requirements High

Water Requirements Moderate to Moist

Rooting Out Temperature 65 - 72° Fahrenheit

Growing On Temperature 55 - 72° Fahrenheit

Planting and Timing Information

Primarily Late Spring through Summer Finish, however, they can be finished for Fall with early Summer planting. Standard PPP.

Finishing Times [weeks]
4-5" and Quart Pot : 8-10
6" and Gallon Pot : 10-12
7-9" Pot :
10-12" and Two Gallon Pot :

Pinching and Growth Regulators

None needed for most varieties. B-nine/Cycocel tank mix at 2500/1000 ppm or Sumagic at 5 ppm will help keep leaf internodes shorter in Big Sky varieties. Applications of Configure at 150-300 ppm is effective at increasing branching during the bulking stage.

Pest and Disease Management

General pest and disease practices as listed in notes. Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites and whiteflies can be problematic. Aster yellows (usually only problematic when leafhoppers aren't controlled), fungal leaf spots, fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and root rots (Pythium and Rhizoctonia).

'Little Annie' is naturally compact and freely branching and should not need either chemical application.

Grower Tips

Echinacea does not tolerate wet soil, do not allow to stay wet for long periods of time.

Provide 24 hour lighting to bulk up plants, if necessary. It is best to bulk plants until 3 to 4 shoots are present for the highest quality plants.

Provide long days, 13 to 16 hours a day, for flower production. Night interruption lighting is also effective.

Once established use cool temperatures to keep compact. Echinacea is a long day plant and will not flower until the day length is correct.

The primary benefit of vernalization in Echinacea is that the plants will bloom faster.

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