Dark Shadows Wicked Coneflower (Echinacea 'Dark Shadows Wicked')
eh-kih-NAY-shah 'Dark Shadows Wicked'

Deciduous Perennial
 

About Coneflowers

Echinacea, commonly called "Coneflower," is a tough, long-blooming, pollinator-attracting perennial that is native to the US. Echinacea purpurea (Eastern Purple Coneflower) and Echinacea Pallida (Eastern Pale Purple Coneflower) are both native to Illinois and extremely well-suited to Chicago growing conditions.

Echinacea will bloom for the longest period of time if old flowers are deadheaded, so we recommend removing spent blooms from July through September, then leaving the rest to stand through the winter months. Named for their prickly center cones (the Latin word "echinus" means sea urchin), these un-cuddly beauties actually look quite nice "bald" once the flowers have gone by. Bonus points for feeding the birds through the cold season!

Echinacea 'Pixie Meadowbrite' sends out bubblegum-pink petals around deep orange to dark red cones. This variety of Echinacea is quite short (less than two feet tall) and looks great along borders or in planters.

Echinacea hybrida 'Cheyenne Spirit' is a delightful mystery: this two-foot-tall variety will bloom in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and white… all on a single plant! What combination will yours create?

Echinacea 'Sombrero Salsa Red' is as tough as it is… well… red. This variety was bred to be cold-hardy and long-blooming, so plant in full sun, sit back, and watch it put on a show from late spring through fall.

Echinacea purpurea 'Pow Wow Wildberry' is a compact (1.5 foot tall), extremely hardy variety of Echinacea with vibrant purple flowers. Sure, it’s named like a fruity flavor of gum, but this plant can withstand drought, heat, poor soil, and high humidity, no problem.

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' grows up to three feet tall and sports six-inch-wide, rose-pink flowers with a unique flat shape (most echinacea petals curl downwards, away from the center cone).

Pros

  • Love hot, sunny, dry conditions
  • Deer resistant
  • Heat/drought tolerant
  • Plant looks attractive even after flowers have gone by without deadheading
  • Seeds can feed birds over winter months
  • Tolerant of poor soil (but bloom best in nutrient-rich soil)
  • Make great cut flowers

Cons

  • Won’t thrive in shade
  • Don’t like wet feet
  • Need deadheading to get more blooms
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 48 inches tall.
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 3a - 8b
Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Extended Bloom Time, Formal Garden, Fragrant Flowers, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Nativar, Native to North America, Normal Soil, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Thrillers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Winter Interest
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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About Ordering From The Plant Club

To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

The next order is coming up soon. Here's a link to our ordering calendar. Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!