This vivid new mixture is a complete innovation in first-year flowering seed perennials and in Echinacea. With its rich colour palette evoking the spirit of the North American plains and prairies where this genus has its origin, Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' will delight and inspire growers and consumers alike. In addition to raving about the colour mix, the Fleuroselect judges also praised this variety for its good plant habit, flower quality and its uniformity, exceptional for a first-year flowering variety. A true winner in Gold, and in Scarlet, Orange, Rosy-Red, Cream, Purple and Yellow too!
Cheyenne Spirit is also the recipient of the All-America Selections award for performance in North American trials.
USE
Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is a first-year flowering perennial variety, suitable for all climates where perennials are hardy, or for annual use. Suitable for 15 cm pots. Enjoys a sunny spot in garden beds. Well suited to landscape plantings.
MARKET VALUE
The grower can grow Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' in a professional perennial programme or as a first-year flowering annual from a January sowing. Growers will appreciate the ease, economy and programmability of producing a glorious colour mix in one sowing, instead of purchasing several individual colours of competitive tissue culture varieties. Strong branching and floriferous, this variety provides good fill in 15 cm (and larger) pots and requires no additional chemicals to produce a bulky plant. Landscapers will appreciate mid-height. Strong plants, in a colourful mix that is easy to incorporate into landscapes. Consumers will enjoy gorgeous colours, flowering from July to September, on durable, sun-loving plants with low water needs.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Echinacea is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. The species is sometimes referred to by the common name Coneflowers. They are endemic to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas. They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word echino, meaning spiny, due to the spiny central disk. Whilst many varieties are propagated from Tissue Culture, PanAmerican Seed and Kieft-Pro-Seeds breeders have in recent years been actively involved in the development of top-quality seed-raised Echinacea hybrids. The internationally awarded 'PowWow' Echinacea series was the first product of this breeding programme from the hand of breeder Jian-Ping Ren Ph.D, which is now extended with the introduction of Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit', deserving winner of the 2012 Fleuroselect Gold Medal. All of these varieties will be marketed under the Kieft-Pro-Seeds quality perennial brand.