Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Yet Another Coneflower Cultivar From Hell

Echinacea tennesseensis 'Rocky Top Hybrid.'

The ground gets pretty windy, doesn't it?

10 comments:

chey said...

That's certainly interesting. Perhaps the petals are just reaching towards the sun:).

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I hate to rain on your "Life in Hell" parade, but that cultivar doesn't look that different from the species. Gail (Clay & Limestone) frequently posts photos of the straight species Echinacea tennesseensis & its flowers are shaped like that. I think this one was selected for the darker color. I do love your parade of freaks.

Kylee Baumle said...

Ben, Ben, Ben. I have this in the species form and it looks much the same, although with not quite such upturned petals. I love it. But I like "different" things. It takes all kinds, doesn't it? ;-)

Benjamin Vogt said...

Chey--Or afraid of the soil!
MMD--Ok, fair enough. But we don't need any more rain here in NE, don't know about your part of the midwest. Still, when it comes to coneflowers--and these only for some reason--I get on a very high horse. So, I apologize.
Kylee--If it didn't take all kinds, the world would be very dull indeed. Thanks for disagreeing with me (seriously).

mr_subjunctive said...

I tagged you for the six-things-about-myself meme. You knew it would happen sooner or later.

Kylee Baumle said...

You know what? I checked mine yesterday, and they DO curve upwards like yours! I never really noticed that about them before. And I like them. :-p

Anonymous said...

Ha!!! Looks like they're screaming "Help me! Help me!!!" Too funny. 'Course, I guess plenty of folks would think E. purpurea looks weird with its downturned petals, too, used as we are to daisies with horizontal petals...

Gail said...

Not that E tennesseensis needs protecting by me! The US gov't does that...it's a federally protected endangered species! I do wish you conventional echinacea fans could come with me to the Couchville Cedar Glade. You can see fields of this coneflower all facing the same direction in worship of the sun and yes, with their petals upwards...surely such desensitization will make you converts!

Gail

Benjamin Vogt said...

Kylee, Gail, and all the others--Ok, ok. I am happy to have started something; I love to rattle cages, as my students would attest. However, knowing my place as a still novice gardener and plant connoisseur, I will partially take back my distate. Gail, using some fine defense work, has won me over, in part (I'm obstinate still). Sneaky. Who am I to step on the feet of passion? Well, no one, unless those feet are proponents of, oh, kudzu or something.

And wonderful pics on your site, Gail! I hadn't been there in a while. Whoa.

Anonymous said...

That one just looks...well, scared!