You don't have to know how to pronounce it to enjoy it, but it doesn't hurt!

It's obvious how the plant got the common name of "coneflower," but one can't help but wonder if it came about partly because its scientific name, Echinacea, is hard to pronounce. Here's the scoop: the name derives from the ancient Greek prefix echino-, meaning spiny, and as with other such words (architect, ache, echo), the ch has a -k sound, so it's pronounced eck-in-eh-sha.

Whatever name you prefer, this North American native perennial is tough to beat for lots of colorful blooms in summer. It needs plenty of sun (6+ hrs/day) and soil that's never soggy or wet for very long, but if you can give it those things, it will give you boatloads of blooms in return. The flowers are excellent cut in a vase, and the plant will always make more to replace them.Now that you know how to pronounce it, you can impress friends and family by adding it to your garden.

Cheyenne Spirit

This one looks like a mix, but it's one plant variety! The flowers go through multiple color transformations from the time they emerge, to when they are at peak, til the end. If you can't decide which color you want to add to your garden, this is a great one to start with!

Awards

Fleuroselect Gold Medal -- 2012

All America Selections -- 2013

Louisiana State AgCenter-Hammond Research Station Top Performer -- 2012

Oklahoma State University Top Performer -- 2012

University of Tennessee Top Performer -- 2012