The Gorgeous Coneflower Cultivar That Blooms Earlier & Makes A Stunning Border Plant

This coneflower might not be the most colorful flower for your summer border garden, but what it lacks in pigment it makes up for in style. The Crazy White Echinacea (Echinacea 'Noam Saul'), blooms well with bright white flowers and an orange-colored cone. Unlike other types of coneflowers, this species was bred to begin blooming in early spring, continuing through mid-summer and well into autumn. Popular with butterflies, consider growing this cultivar for its early blooms and to add height to a border area.

Created by Richard Gregg Saul between 2006 and 2009, the Crazy White coneflower is described as having an upright habit with vigorous, branching growth. In fact, each mature plant has the potential to grow over 100 flowers. The petals of the slightly drooping blooms are white and the cone at the center is large and prominent. The foliage has a dark gray-green hue that sets off a nice contrast with the white petals. You can easily grow these coneflowers in the right conditions in the U.S. as they are derived from two native coneflower species, and they are tolerant of conditions like drought, humidity, and poor soil, making them exceptionally easy to grow.

An adaptable species, the Crazy White coneflower does well in almost any soil, but does grow best in well-draining soil. And remember to follow tips when building a coneflower display for best plant placement, such as planting somewhere they will get a lot of sun. This coneflower cultivar, like most coneflowers, appreciates full sun, although it can tolerate partial shade. This perennial flower is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9, and it will actually bloom into cooler months if you deadhead flowers regularly.

At its tallest, this cultivar may reach 2 feet tall, with a spread of 1.5 feet. If you choose to add it to a sunny border part of your garden, make sure to provide 1 foot of spacing between plants for the best results. The Crazy White coneflower makes a lovely and elegant supplement as an accent to a border, but it looks even better with companions. You can fill your garden with pollinators by growing these plants alongside coneflowers, including bee balm (Monarda spp.) and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.). Consider growing a dwarf cultivar of bee balm in front of your Crazy White coneflower border, like pink 'Petite Wonder' or the bright purple 'Pardon My Purple'. A good cultivar of black-eyed Susans to try with white coneflowers is the bold 'Autumn Colors' variety, which will complement the inner orange cone of Crazy White.