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Sunday, August 04, 2013

Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterflies

If you like daisies, you are sure to love the Echinacea White Swan Coneflower. I have admired this particular flower in other people's gardens for years. It was only recently that I actually learned the name of this flower and actually decided to plant some in my own garden. I was always remarking, I love that flower with the domed centers - what do you call that? The longer name is Echinacea purpurea White Swan Coneflower; shorter version of Echinacea White Swan.

Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
What impressed me right out of the gate were the butterflies who came to visit. My next door neighbor had dropped by the check out my newly planted flower garden. I was telling her that within five minutes of putting the Echinacea White Swan in the ground, a butterfly was already perched on the flower! And, that butterfly hung around for quite a while, checking out each of the three plants. If you love butterflies in your garden, consider the butterfly-friendly plants like Echinacea White Swan!

And Butterflies!

Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and ButterflyEchinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and ButterflyEchinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and ButterflyEchinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and ButterflyEchinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly
Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and ButterflyEchinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly

The Echinacea White Swan Coneflower is reportedly not as "hardy" as its purple counterpart, the Magnus. They both prefer full sunlight conditions and can tolerate the weather as cold as 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit. They will grow to achieve a height of some two to three feet with a good spread of eighteen inches.

Planting Instructions:

This pretty flowering plant can tolerate hot and dry conditions. It can be planted in ordinary well-drained soil.
  1. Dig a hole that is two times the width of the pot.
  2. The depth of the hole should fully accommodate the root ball so that it is level with the ground.
  3. Add planting mix along with your soil and tamp down.
  4. Adequately water your planted area and add more soil if needed.
  5. Cover the area with mulch.

Excellent Resources:

  • I have been a long-time fan of Wikipedia! Check out their informational wiki pages specifically on Echinacea and Echinacea purpurea.
  • I am impressed with the North Creek Nurseries profile on the Echinacea purpurea White Swan.
  • Another good resource is Monrovia who describes this plant as "Daisy-like flowers have a coppery cone center surrounded by drooping snow white petals." And, more importantly, a "magnet for butterflies."

You'll want to check out the impressive Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers in front of Building 99 at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus. Do a Google Image Search too!

You've just checked out the "micro view" of this flower; now for the "macro view!"

Flower Garden of Daisy Bushes and Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers
Flower Garden of Daisy Bushes and Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers
On the left is my 8 foot tall Sunflower Garden! And, on the right is yet another flower garden! I dug up another rectangular patch in my backyard for this garden. It houses four daisy bushes and three Echinacea White Swan Coneflower plants. Other elements include two 12 foot black extension drainage, ten 12 inch red patio stones, ten bags of cypress mulch, 4 bags of white marble stones and one sunflower garden stake.

Look closely and you will see the neighborhood orange male tabby cat - he rather looks like a garden element! At the back patio door you might notice Boots the cat who returned home recently after a three year absense.

P.S. Amazon is a great resource for Everything Echinacea!

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