Echinacea ‘Ruby Star’, also known as coneflower, is a native prairie land perennial and a pollinator’s delight. This cultivar sports ruby-red petals with dark orange cones and makes a great cut flower. If left on the stem, seed pods develop, which provides food for finches.

I purchased three specimens in 4″ pots which I knew were unlikely to bloom in their first year. I would have preferred to buy a gallon size, but the nursery didn’t have quite the right color available – little did I know I had only to wait a couple of weeks before the deluge of coneflower would hit the nursery. Oh well! I am hoping to see some blooms in 2023!