16 Colorful Coneflowers To Attract Pollinators And Birds, Suggested By Our Professional Gardener

Coneflowers (Echinacea) are perennials that offer weeks of color from early summer through early autumn. But they have benefits beyond their beauty: these daisy-like flowers attract pollinators like butterflies and honeybees, and many varieties produce seeds for songbirds in the fall. In my work as a professional gardener, coneflowers are one of my go-to plants for sunny gardens. They're hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8, sturdy, reliable, easy to divide, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and come in a huge range of colors and forms. I've listed some of my favorites that would look fabulous in any garden.

Many people are familiar with the heirloom coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, and the 'Magnus' cultivar is the classic pink flower that grows about 2 feet tall; the white version is known as 'Alba.'  There are several different forms of coneflowers, and most of them have a prominent cone in the center: this produces tiny seeds that'll bring fall birds to your yard and garden. Some newer hybrids have double layers of petals or large pom-poms on top and may not produce seeds. If you want to plant these flowers to provide food for birds, be sure to include some varieties with cone-shaped centers.  

Some coneflower hybrids come in multiple colors, such as 'Cheyenne Spirit' and 'Sunseekers,' and planting a seed mix will provide a lovely assortment of vibrant hues. Coneflowers come in shades of pink, white, yellow, green, red, orange, and magenta, so it is very easy to find one that fits your garden's color palette. Good companion plants include other sun-loving, summer-blooming perennials like sedums, daylilies, tall phlox, asters, and mums.

'Pow Wow Wild Berry'

This bright pink coneflower adds brilliant color to the summer and autumn garden with its bright fuchsia pink petals and prominent orange and green cones. 'Pow Wow Wild Berry' is a real blooming powerhouse with rounded, daisy-shaped petals; the hot pink blooms look great next to yellow and orange flowers, including coreopsis, daylilies, and mums. At just 20 inches tall, it's a nice compact grower. Let it go to seed so the birds can have a tasty snack once the flowers fade.

'Cantaloupe'

From the 'Supreme' series, this stunning plant will have birds and butterflies flocking to your yard. The 'Cantaloupe' coneflower is a truly unique pale orange that absolutely reminds me of ripe cantaloupe slices. The fluffy pom-pom tops and abundant petals make 'Cantaloupe' a real show-stopper. It doesn't have seeds for birds, but the nectar-rich flowers will still attract beneficial pollinators, including hummingbirds. As the flowers fade, deadhead them to keep new blooms coming.

'Green Jewel'

Green flowers are so special in the garden, adding a glimpse of somewhat unexpected color amidst the various shades of green foliage. There are a number of green-petaled coneflowers, including 'Green Envy,' 'Coconut Lime,' and 'Prima Lime,' to name a few. I love 'Green Jewel' for its pale green petals and greenish-yellow cones, but this variety has a bonus: it's lightly fragrant! Plant it alongside bright pinks or purples for a gorgeous contrast.

'Delicious Candy'

This striking coneflower features raspberry-red outer petals and inner petals surrounding the green cone, which eventually form a bright pom-pom in the center. These colorful blooms start coming in early summer and attract many pollinators in the garden. Unlike double coneflowers, the pom-pom shape of 'Delicious Candy' allows access to the seeds for birds after the petals drop away late in the season. 

'Sunseekers Salmon'

The 'Sunseekers' series of coneflowers are compact plants with many branching stems that produce copious blooms known for their intriguing blends of color. The 'Sunseekers Rainbow' cultivar starts out with yellow petals that shift to salmon, pink, and orange as the flowers mature. 'Sunseekers Salmon' has lovely, pale pink petals tinged with coral and lilac hues, surrounding reddish-brown cones, creating a beautiful and unique color palette for the garden.

'Raspberry Truffle'

'Raspberry Truffle' is a newer hybrid introduction: an attractive double coneflower with pale pink outer petals encircling a fluffy topper of rosy pink petals surrounding a gold center. Though insect pollinators are attracted to the nectar of this long-blooming pink coneflower, the seeds are not as accessible to birds, so be sure to include some coneflowers with prominent seed cones alongside them: perhaps deep pink 'Fatal Attraction' or vivid orange 'Tiki Torch' would make a striking companion.

'White Swan'

This classic coneflower stands tall (up to 3 feet) and lends delicate color with its creamy, slender petals that are slightly tinged with green. The center cones are prominent, with shades of green, orange, and gold to offset the white petals. 'White Swan' is a nice one to add when you have an assortment of brightly-colored coneflowers to create a visual contrast, or if you have an all-white garden, this is a summer stunner you need in your limited palette flower bed. 'White Swan' is an heirloom well-loved by gardeners, butterflies, and birds alike.

'Double Scoop Cranberry'

This yummy-looking stunner is a delicious shade of cranberry red (or is it deep fuchsia pink?), so eye-catching and a great addition to both warm and cool color palettes. Its color intensity is second only to its gorgeous form, with large, fluffy pom-poms that crown numerous slender petals. This one is sure to attract hummingbirds with its bright hues and delicious nectar. At 2 feet tall, 'Double Scoop Cranberry' is a fairly compact coneflower that will stand out in the summer border.

'Sombrero Adobe Orange'

This colorful variety has large daisy-shaped flowers that emerge bright orange and shift to soft tones of coral and salmon, with huge orange and green center cones. A beautiful choice for the front of the summer border, 'Sombrero Adobe Orange' is a sturdy, compact plant that stands 18 to 20 inches tall, blooming for weeks and attracting many beneficial pollinators. 

'Green Twister'

This unusual two-tone coneflower is not only interesting for its appealing color combo of mauve-pink and green petals with deep orange centers but also for the striking shape of its petals, which have space between them, creating a unique look. The 'Green Twister' coneflower adds subtle but intriguing color, texture, and fragrance to the summer garden, and its huge central cones will attract both insect pollinators and birds, which will snack on the seeds in autumn.

'Mellow Yellows'

The 'Mellow Yellows' coneflower has large, daisy-shaped flowers in warm shades of pale to golden yellow, with green center cones tipped with yellow. This is one of my favorite yellow summer flowers; it's not too bright, and, as its name suggests, it blends in easily with companions of all colors. It's a medium-sized coneflower, reaching 24 to 30 inches tall, and is very long-blooming, often flowering until the first frost in the autumn garden.

'Cheyenne Spirit'

This is a lovely series that produces a range of colors, including red, pink, coral, magenta, gold, and vermilion, all with large bright orange seed cones. Planting 'Cheyenne Spirit' coneflowers from seed is fun because you never quite know what colors you'll get, which I find kind of exciting. Save a few of the seeds from the birds to enhance the color show in your garden the following year.

'Sunny Days Ruby'

The 'Sunny Days' coneflowers are compact but floriferous hybrids that have vividly colored flowers. The bright yellow cultivar called 'Lemon' would look great in the garden with its relative, 'Sunny Days Ruby.' This deep red coneflower has contrasting magenta petals with a deep ruby red pom-pom center that maintains its deep red hues all season, even in full sun.

'Tiki Torch'

As tall as it is striking, this aptly named hybrid coneflower is a gorgeous shade of golden orange with large green and orange cones that lure many butterflies and birds. Standing 3 feet tall, with large flowers measuring up to 5 inches across, 'Tiki Torch' creates a bright, sunny presence in the garden and also lends a subtle, spicy fragrance. I love these alongside blue flowers, such as 'Woods Blue' or 'Bluebird' asters.

'Sombrero Salsa Red'

Another variety of the gorgeous 'Sombrero' series, this jewel is beautiful in the summer garden, attracting plenty of hummingbirds with its bright red petals. The 'Sombrero Salsa Red' coneflower produces large flowers of deep cherry red and red-orange with dark, reddish-brown centers. The relatively compact plants grow up to 24 inches tall and are known for many stems full of flowers through the long season. Deadheading keeps blooms coming, but be sure to leave some flower heads intact so birds can feast on the seeds in autumn.

'Fatal Attraction'

The boldly named 'Fatal Attraction' is a striking coneflower with gorgeous coloration: deep red stems, magenta pink petals, and deep orange cones. Plus, it's sweetly fragrant! It grows up to 2 feet tall and starts blooming in midsummer, then keeps flowering well into September, extending the coneflower season. The flowers have a slightly cupped shape, giving them a graceful look in your garden.

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