Color Coded Frankly Scarlet Coneflower

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

26-28 Inches

Mature Spread

16-20 Inches

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Another beautiful color added to the Color Coded series of Coneflowers, Frankly Scarlet is a scarlet orange with bright green foliage. Brand new on the scene, be one of the first to get one this spring. You are going to love the bright orange/red flowers, huge cone and the bright foliage on Frankly Scarlet. This beautiful new perennial hybrid is the result of tissue culture, a propagation method that gives exact replicas of the parent plant so that results can be consistent every time. With just a slight nod to the coneflower petal droop with petals that are held out horizontally, Frankly Scarlet flowers more robustly and branches out at the base better than older varieties.

Native to North America and growing in open fields and meadowlands, Echinacea has been known for years as the purple coneflower. Recent hybridizations have introduced a wider range of colors, and have bred more vigor into the plants, creating a long lasting perennial for gardens across the country in Zones 4 to 8. Cold winters prepare the plant for more abundant flowering the following spring, so this plant does not perform well in warm winter areas. The bright red/orange color of Frankly Scarlet will be the perfect contrast to the dark purples, whites and bright yellows of other late summer blooming perennials.

Color Coded Frankly Scarlet Coneflower Care

Full sun with some afternoon shade tolerated, Frankly Scarlet will perform best with at least 4-6 hours of sun. Too much shade will slow the production of flowers. Echinacea must have well draining soil, and prefers a sandy loam soil with an average pH range of 5.8 to 6.2. That being said, it will perform well in any soil type, poor to fertile, and survive in any pH range, acidic to alkaline. It is drought tolerant once it is established, but prefers an average amount of water each week. Allow the plant to dry out between waterings for best results. Typical of most wildflower descendants, echinacea do not need fertilizer. Just work in some well composted organic material into particularly poor soil at time of planting and that’s all you should need.

Deadheading spent blooms will help to prolong the bloom season. Cut stems down to just above the foliage to keep the plant neat and give new stems room to push up through. Consider leaving spent flowers on the plant in late fall for songbirds who love the seeds, and for an interesting texture in your winter garden landscape. Mulch the root zone of your plants in areas with particularly harsh winters to afford some protection.

Color Coded Frankly Scarlet Coneflower Spacing

Space your Frankly Scarlet about 16 to 20 inches apart to allow for good air circulation and give room to grow. Growing to about 28 inches tall and 20 inches wide, these lovely bright perennials will spread out nicely over the years on their own, creating a small drift of color. These are long lasting perennials for your landscape borders and edgings, or garden bed, and make wonderful cut flowers. Bees and butterflies will be frequent visitors to your garden when you include Frankly Scarlet Coneflowers.