I just planted some Sombreros, hoping for great blooms. Walmart had 2 qt named coneflowers marked down to $1.68 so I got Sombreros and Powwow Wild Berries.

I found the tag to the orange coneflowers I planted and the name is "Sombrero Flamenco Orange". Is it the same variety that you have planted? Mine are doing very well. At first I needed to water them frequently for a couple weeks, finally just now and then. I read they do not like alot of water so I was careful. So far so good. They seem to be growing bigger already.

I returned to Lowes soon after July 31st. and bought a Powwow White. It's doing well also. I hope your Sombreros and Powwow W.Berries do too.

In August I found yellow coneflower called "Harvest Moon" and it is SO pretty. There was one left and it was crooked in the pot but I bought it anyway as I was enchanted and it was the right shade of yellow for the spot I needed it for. I tended to wilt every couple of days so I watered often. Of course this is when the 90 degree days began. Then it seemed to settle in. Now tonight I noticed it needed a little pick-me-up so I gave it a good drink.

"I found the tag to the orange coneflowers I planted and the name is "Sombrero Flamenco Orange".

I got several of those at Lowe's this year as well- outstanding color that really stands out. I know not everyone enjoys orange flowers but I love them- the hotter the color the better.

I prefer an orange to a red because I don't really care for hot colors in my garden. I like them in other peoples' gardens tho! I thought the Flamenco Orange was just right as my other oranges in the garden are more coral and light oranges. I did notice that as the Flam.Org. blooms age, they become a reddish color. I've been deadheading and the new blooms coming on are true to the original orange. Upon advice here, I won't deadhead all the blooms as apparently the birds like the seed heads.

I also found an Agastache, or hyssop, at Lowes in a lovely light orange
shade and bought two of those. Planted them near the Harvest Moon
coneflower. Did you see those cearbhaill? I use to have a blue hyssop in the garden years ago but it didn't make it. I'll be anxious to see if these new orange come back next Spring.

I'd be thrilled if those of you who got Sombrero Flamenco Orange or Sombrero Adobe update how the plants do next season. It has seemed that many of the newer coneflowers/Echinacea don't seem to winter over as well as the older selections and straight species, so I would like to hear about your results with this series.

Thanks!

Barb

I have been growing Sombrero hot coral for 4 years. I love it. It blooms a hot orange and matures to a coral rose color. It returns year after year healthy and so far is true to color as the day I bought it. The years we have snow it is the first plant to pop up. The years it is warm in winter it comes a couple of weeks later. I really love the Sombrero series and would love to trade seeds with someone. I have also divided the original plant and it performed beautifully the following season.

Thanks to both of you for the updates on survival!