yes. please. soon.

green jewel

Echinacea 'Pure Green'

This has to be one of my favorite garden plants. Echinacea's have been a garden must have for as long as people have been gardening. according to Armitage in his Manual of Herbaceous Perennials a german, Konrad Moench, named the plant after a hedgehog, echinos. This plant is a well known medicinal plant, being a source of vitamin c, it is commonly used for coughs and colds. You can find Echinacea capsules at your local grocery store in the viatmin aisle!

As a garden plant they are widely known under their species purperea, a purple colored coneflower, however with their popularity growing they are breeding all kinds of different colors: reds, yellows, pinks, and my favorite the first ever all green, Pure Green. It is a great cottage garden specimen and loves full sun, no extra fertility. They start blooming in the South, this week (second to third week of May), and are show stopper in the University of Georgia Trial Gardens, they will flower sporadically until frost.

I use them as a cut flower and Armitage also mentions that many florist will remove the petals and use just the cones as added interest. However with this jewel I am leaving all the petals on!

mmm. . . i love working in a garden