The 11 Best Coneflower Plants to Grow

By Emily Hannemann

Updated: Oct. 06, 2023

With dozens of new coneflower plants on the market and at garden centers, learn how to pick the best ones for your backyard.

Ah, coneflower plants. How can you not love ’em? After all, they feed the birds, offer some of the longest-lasting blooms around, and are naturally drought-tolerant. Consider adding one (or more) of these showstoppers to your garden.

Tequila Sunrise Coneflower — Tequila Sunrise coneflower

Best Yellow Coneflower Plants

Tequila Sunrise (Zones 4 to 8)

Turn up the heat and bring a little sunshine into your garden with these yellow coneflower plants. Tequila Sunrise features long yellow petals with a reddish interior.

Also try: Maui Sunshine, Sombrero Lemon Yellow and Daydream are three more varieties that feature sunny yellow blooms.

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Pink Double Delight 2 — Pink Double Delight

Best Double Bloomer

Pink Double Delight (Zones 4 to 8)

Pink Double Delight took what people love about coneflowers and doubled it! The pink pompom blooms make a big impact in the garden, and they’re fragrant, too.

Also try: Marmalade is a nice option, especially if you need a break from pink. The blooms are a mix of orange and yellow.

Prairie coneflower thrives in hot, sunny spots.

Best White Coneflowers

Virgin (Zones 3 to 8)

Virgin is really the cream of the crop when it comes to white coneflower plants. It has very full, fragrant blooms with an upright habit, so they don’t require staking.

Also try: Fragrant Angel definitely delivers the fragrance. Hummingbirds and butterflies love the full blooms, and the plant thrives in heat.

Best Unique Form

Raspberry Truffle (Zones 4 to 8)

Another double bloomer, this coneflower sports enormous 3-inch-wide flowers. It first became available in 2011, and gardeners are already impressed with its performance, endurance and unique coloring.

Also try: Double Decker looks as if it has another set of blooms growing from the cone of the main flower. If you want unique, it delivers.

Award-winning Cheyenne Spirit coneflower dazzles.

Greenenvy coneflower plants — Green Envy

Best Unique Color

Green Envy (Zones 3 to 9)

Is it green? Is it pink? Actually, it’s both, and it’ll stop flower fanatics in their tracks, with fragrant blooms that are bright pink in the center and lime green on the edges. It has a long bloom period, too, so it’s definitely worth a try.

Also try: Double Scoop Orangeberry. It claims to carry more than 30 two-tone blooms per plant, and birds and butterflies love it.

Best Orange Coneflowers

Tangerine Dream (Zones 3 to 9)

To add a brush of sunset glow to your garden, look no further than orange coneflower plants. If you like to make a statement, Tangerine Dream is a must-have for your garden. Given a little time, it will reach heights of more than 30 inches, with mounds of pumpkin-orange blooms. To top it off, the flowers have a strong, spicy fragrance.

Also try: Tiki Torch is a fade-resistant orange with more upright blooms. Coral Reef has interesting centers and looks lovely in bouquets. Sombrero Adobe Orange is another popular pick, while Orange You Awesome thrives in hot, sunny locations.

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Kim's Knee High coneflower — Kim’s Knee High coneflower

Best Compact Coneflowers

Kim’s Knee High (Zones 4 to 9)

Size doesn’t matter to this colorful dwarf coneflower. Its vibrant rosy petals will stand out even among other taller varieties. Plus butterflies love it!

Also try: Little Annie is so cute, you’ll want to pinch its petals! It only grow 6 to 9 inches tall, making it just right for containers. For a petite yellow-orange coneflower, look for the adorable Tweety.

Enjoy these colorful pictures of coneflowers in bloom.

Best Red Coneflowers

Sombrero Salsa Red (Zones 5 to 9)

One benefit of new coneflower varieties is that they produce more blooms on each branch. This is definitely the case with Sombrero Salsa Red. Its abundant deep-red blooms will steal the show for more than three months.

Also try: Red Knee High has a bit of a classic look with deep, rich bloom color. It’s also compact, so try it in tight places. For a second option, try Lakota Fire, which blooms nonstop even without deadheading.

Birds and butterflies love black-eyed Susan flowers.

Best Classic Purple Coneflowers

Magnus (Zones 4 to 8)

Classic purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea are the most well-known coneflower, available at most garden centers and many online retailers. They give you the best of both worlds—the classic coneflower shape and color along with the added pollinator benefits. For dramatic height and flower power, try Magnus. This drought-tolerant beauty blooms from early summer through fall and grows up to 42 inches tall. If you need to replace any of your current classic coneflower plants, this is the one for you.

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Best Green Coneflowers

Green Jewel (Zones 4 to 8)

It might not be the color that pops into your head when you think of coneflowers, but green coneflowers exist—and they’re a stunning sight in any garden. Green Jewel has large 4-inch lime colored flowers that get even greener as the flowers age. It grows up to 2 feet tall and wide, with more than 20 blooms per plant.

Also try: Coconut Lime is really a mix of green and white flowers. This double-blooming variety sports white petals below and pompom-like greenish blooms above. Every garden should have one! Also look for Apple Green,’ which grows up to 24 inches tall.

Attract butterflies with late blooming asters.

Best Pink Coneflowers

PowWow Wild Berry (Zones 3 to 8)

You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck with PowWow Wild Berry coneflower plants. PowWow only grows 24 inches tall, but produces many giant blooms on each stem—and they keep coming for up to five months.

Also try: Sensation Pink, a dwarf coneflower that’ll shine in smaller spaces and makes an excellent cut flower. Hope is another variety worth checking out. The coloring is a lighter pink, but it has the classic shape, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Orange You Awesome Coneflower — Orange You Awesome coneflower

Benefits of Growing Coneflower Plants

Drought-tolerant once established
Sturdy stems keep flowers from flopping
Butterflies love them
Superb cut flowers
Highly deer-resistant
Long bloom period
Fragrant
Easy to grow
Improved flower color

Next, check out the top 10 low maintenance perennials to grow.