In The Garden Now…..Echinacea ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’

‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’ Purple Cone Flower

Text and Photo by Victoria Gilleland

Many people take Echinacea as an herbal supplement. But did you know that Echinacea commonly called ‘Purple Cone Flower’ is a beautiful flowering perennial that produces large daisy-like flowers all summer? 

One of my favorite varieties is ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’ Coneflower. This perennial produces dozens of brilliantly colored rose-purple flowers with orange center cones. There are additional varieties in the ‘Pow Wow’ series but I’ve noticed that those with pink or purplish flowers do better and are more reliable as returning perennials than those with more other colors. Flowers attract bees and butterflies in summer. Let flowers go to seed at the end of summer for fall and winter food for our feathered friends. 

‘Wild Berry’ starts blooming early in the season and produces dozens of flowers throughout summer. It typically reaches 2 to 3 feet high and 1 to 1 ½ feet wide. Over time it will produce a larger clump.

In my shady LFP garden lots of flowers are produced in early summer with fewer later when the sun is blocked by tall evergreen trees. The blossoms are very showy and make good cut flowers fresh or dried. If you have limited flower bed space plant this purple cone flower in a large garden pot. It’s hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add a fabulous splash of vivid color to any sunny garden with ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry Coneflower!” 

Botanical Name: Echinacea purpurea ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the northwest for over 20 years.