Coneflower (Echinacea 'Marmalade')
Echinacea 'Marmalade' Coneflower offers striking double marmalade-orange blooms from June to August, thriving in sun and drought.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ is a standout cultivar prized for its electrifying, double marmalade-orange flowers, distinguishing it from the classic purple coneflower varieties. This herbaceous perennial generates significant visual impact in the garden, featuring unique anemone-type inflorescences that bloom prolifically from early summer into late summer. As an adaptable and low-maintenance plant, the Coneflower provides excellent seasonal color and structure with minimal fuss.
This particular selection, Echinacea ‘Marmalade’, is known for its sturdy, well-branched stems, typically reaching 2 to 2.5 feet tall, which generally do not require staking. While these double blooms may not offer the same pollen or nectar benefits as single coneflowers, the plant is still a valuable architectural element that promises low effort for high reward in sunny borders.
Gardeners appreciate Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ for its excellent tolerance to various challenging conditions, including drought and poor soils once established. It brings reliable, warm color to the perennial border, echoing the characteristics that make the genus Echinacea a staple in North American landscapes.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asteraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2-2.5 ft
- Spread: 2-2.5 ft
- Bloom Time: June to August
- Bloom Description: Marmalade orange
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Dry to medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
The best time to plant Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ is in spring after the last frost, ensuring it establishes roots before summer heat arrives. Plant in well-drained soil, which is crucial for the long-term health of any Coneflower. While it tolerates part shade, this variety performs best and flowers most profusely with consistent full sun exposure.
Water thoroughly after planting to encourage establishment. Once mature, Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ is highly drought-tolerant, preferring dry to medium moisture levels. Avoid overwatering, especially in heavy soils, as this practice can lead to root issues. This plant requires generally low maintenance; fertilization is rarely needed if planted in average garden soil.
Deadheading spent flowers is generally not strictly necessary, as the plant reblooms adequately without it, encouraging continued bloom is possible with prompt removal. However, if you choose to leave the blackened seed cones standing into winter, they offer visual interest and can attract goldfinches. Plan to divide crowded clumps approximately every four years to maintain vigor and flower production for your Coneflower patch.
Landscape Uses
Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ shines as a mid-border component, providing pops of bright orange against cooler-toned foliage or late-season blues and purples. Their upright habit makes them excellent as border fronts or placed strategically in rock gardens where drainage is naturally good. They work beautifully when massed together, creating a vibrant swath of color that draws the eye across the landscape.
For a layered planting design, pair these fiery orange coneflowers with shorter, mounding perennials in the front, such as ornamental grasses or shorter Sedums. In partial shade settings, like open woodland gardens, plant them near Hostas or Japanese Anemones to benefit from the contrast in leaf texture and light requirements. Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ also functions effectively as an attractive specimen plant when you desire a robust, sun-loving accent.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Echinacea is a genus of seven species all endemic to eastern and central North America. Coneflowers bloom from June to August with some sporadic later bloom. Attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators. Good fresh cut or dried flower. The dead flower stems will remain erect well into the winter, and if flower heads are not removed, the blackened cones may be visited by goldfinches or other birds that feed on the seeds. Genus name of Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos meaning hedgehog or sea urchin in reference to the spiny center cone found on most flowers in the genus. ‘Marmalade’ features double marmalade-orange coneflowers (anemone-type inflorescences) that typically grow in upright clumps to 24-30” tall and as wide on sturdy, well-branched stems that do not need staking. ‘Marmalade’ is the result of a 2006 cross pollination of a proprietary Echinacea hybrid selection (female) with an unknown Echinacea hybrid selection (male) conducted in a controlled breeding program in Vleutenand and Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. Flowers appear in a floriferous bloom from late spring to late summer, sometimes with additional sporadic bloom until frost. Each double flower (to 3” diameter) features downward-sloping orange ray florets topped by a very large, rounded, pompom-like center cone of darker orange disc florets. Strigose, narrow-ovate to lanceolate leaves (to 4” long) are medium green. ‘Marmalade’ is a selection from the Cone-fection Series of double-flowered echinaceas produced by AB-Cultivars (Arie Blom) in The Netherlands. U.S. Plant Patent PP22,602 for ‘Marmalade’ was issued on March 20, 2012. The double blooms this cultivar produces are not as beneficial to wildlife since they do not produce pollen, nectar, or seeds.
Tolerances
- Deer
- Drought
- Clay Soil
- Dry Soil
- Shallow-Rocky Soil
Potential Problems
All coneflowers are susceptible to aster yellows and various fungal and bacterial leaf spots. Aster yellows, transmitted by leafhoppers, causes the entire plant, including flower parts, to turn green and wilt, a condition for which there is no cure other than removal. Fungal issues like powdery mildew can appear late in the season, particularly if air circulation is poor or if the plant receives too much afternoon shade.
Gardeners should actively inspect Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ throughout the growing season for common pests. Watch especially for erythroid mites, which cause leaf distortion, and Japanese beetles, which chew ragged holes in the petals and foliage. Maintaining optimal spacing for good air flow and promptly removing diseased foliage are key preventative measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Coneflower suitable for?
Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ is robustly hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 8.
How large does Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ grow?
This Coneflower typically matures to a height between 2 and 2.5 feet tall, with a comparable spread of 2 to 2.5 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ need?
For the best performance, this cultivar requires full sun, though it can tolerate periods of part shade.
When does Coneflower bloom?
Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ offers its primary show of marmalade orange blooms from June to August.
Conclusion
Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ brings dependable, low-maintenance structure and brilliant orange color to the perennial garden space. Its noted drought and soil tolerance make this Coneflower a resilient choice for sunny spots where other plants might struggle. Before planting, confirm your site falls within USDA Zones 5-8 and choose a location that receives ample full sun to ensure a stunning seasonal display.
Companion Planting
Given the adaptable nature of Echinacea ‘Marmalade’, pairing it successfully relies on matching its preference for full sun and well-drained, average to dry conditions. Excellent companions include Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) which complements the orange hue with silvery-blue flower spikes, and Ornamental Grasses like Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) for textural contrast. Avoid planting directly alongside moisture-loving plants, as consistent wet soil feet can compromise the coneflower’s health.
Wildlife Benefits
While the double blooms of Echinacea ‘Marmalade’ are less beneficial to pollinators than single-flowered coneflowers due to reduced nectar and pollen availability, the plant still offers value, especially in its structure. The sturdy, tall stems remain upright long after flowering, providing winter cover and perching opportunities for birds. Furthermore, if you allow the main cones to mature, they can provide residual seeds that attract goldfinches during the colder months.
