Echinacea - Sombrero Lemon Yellow

Echinacea - Sombrero Lemon Yellow is a stunning perennial coneflower that brings vibrant lemon-yellow blooms to your garden from summer through fall. This drought-tolerant perennial features bright, daisy-like flowers with prominent central cones that create a striking display in borders, cottage gardens, and naturalized areas. The Sombrero series is known for its compact growth habit, exceptional flower production, and outstanding hardiness, making it perfect for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. These pollinator-friendly blooms attract butterflies, bees, and birds while providing long-lasting cut flowers for indoor arrangements.

Key Features:

- Produces vibrant lemon-yellow flowers that maintain their color throughout the blooming season without fading.

- Features a compact, well-branched growth habit reaching 18-24 inches tall and wide, perfect for small gardens and containers.

- Delivers exceptional hardiness and disease resistance, ensuring reliable performance year after year.

- Attracts essential pollinators including butterflies, bees, and birds, supporting local ecosystems.

- Provides long-lasting blooms from mid-summer through fall, extending the garden's seasonal interest.

- Creates excellent cut flowers for fresh arrangements with stems that hold up well in vases.

Plant Care Instructions

1. Light Requirements:

- Prefers full sun for optimal flowering and plant health.

- Requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.

- Can tolerate light afternoon shade in hotter climates.

2. Watering:

- Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry between waterings.

- Once established, exhibits excellent drought tolerance.

- Reduce watering in fall and winter to prevent root rot.

3. Soil Type:

- Thrives in well-draining, moderately fertile soil.

- Prefers neutral to slightly acidic pH levels (6.0-7.0).

- Add compost to improve drainage in clay soils.

4. Temperature & Hardiness Zone:

- Hardy to Zone 3b with excellent cold tolerance.

- Withstands winter temperatures down to -34°C.

- Apply light mulch in late fall to protect crown in severe winter conditions.

5. Fertilizer:

- Apply slow-release balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) in early spring.

- Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which promote foliage at the expense of flowers.

- Side dress with compost annually to improve soil structure.

6. Pruning & Maintenance:

- Deadhead spent blooms throughout the season to encourage continued flowering.

- Cut back stems to 4-6 inches above ground in late fall or early spring.

- Divide plants every 3-4 years to maintain vigor and prevent overcrowding.

7. Special Notes:

- Leave some seedheads in place over winter to feed birds and add winter interest.

- Medicinal properties in roots have been traditionally used to boost immunity.