SCIENTIFIC NAME: Echinacea purpurea 'Doubledecker'

COMMON NAME: Doubledecker Purple Coneflower

GARDEN SIZE: 40 inches tall by 24-30 inches wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 3-8

EXPOSURE: Full to Part Sun (4 or more hours of sun per day, ideally light afternoon shade)

WATER & SOIL: Prefers well-drained soil and has average water requirements.

HABIT (FORM): Upright, clump-forming

LIFE CYCLE: Perennial; capable of producing viable seed and freely self-seeding when seed heads are retained. Seedlings may vary and should not be expected to remain true to the original cultivar

FOLIAGE: Green

FLOWERS: Unique, two-tiered; distinctive deep rose-pink blooms with a skirt of long petals surrounding the cone and a second tier of shorter petals emerging above it. First-year plants may bloom single; two-tiered flowers become more prevalent from the second year onward.

PLANT ORIGIN: North America, including Tennessee. However, the bloom form is very different from the naturally occurring flower, which may be a bit less adapted to our local insect life.

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May help to support pollinators and birds (especially finches), but the unusual bloom form is very different from the naturally occurring flower, and may be less adapted for and usable by our local pollinators.

FERTILIZING: Give a root stimulant or 4-3-3 fertilizer during initial planting, then feed lightly in late winter or early spring with compost or an organic fertilizer.

PRUNING: Cut back to just above soil level in early spring. Leave the seedheads in place over the fall and winter to support wildlife.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Generally considered non-toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses. As with any plant, consuming large quantities may cause mild digestive upset.

USES: Borders, meadows, prairies, rain gardens, cut flowers, containers (please note that use in containers voids the limited one-year warranty)