Coneflowernon-native

Field guide

'Hot Papaya' is a double-flowered coneflower hybrid in the Cone-fections series, ~3 ft. tall, with shaggy red-orange pom-pom blooms in summer. In Mt. Cuba Center's Mid-Atlantic Echinacea trial it earned a low 2.7 rating: plants struggled to stay upright (flowers ended at ground level) and were devastated by aster yellows, with only one plant surviving. Like other double coneflowers it offers markedly reduced wildlife value—per Missouri Botanical Garden the double blooms "do not produce pollen, nectar, or seeds," and Mt. Cuba found doubles received far fewer insect visits than single, wild-type forms.

Gardener's notes

It's a striking novelty, but be honest about the trade-offs—doubles like this are weak for pollinators and, in Mid-Atlantic trials, prone to flopping and disease. If you love the look, plant it for you; if you want bees and goldfinches, put in a single coneflower like 'Pica Bella' or the straight species nearby. Full sun and sharp winter drainage are non-negotiable.

Ecology

• Pollinators: REDUCED — doubles replace reproductive structures with petals
• Birds: goldfinches eat seed of singles—doubles produce little seed

Care this season

• Deadheading: for rebloom and tidiness
• Diseases: aster yellows (devastated this cultivar in Mt. Cuba trial)
• Watch for: struggled to stay upright in trials; needs sharp winter drainage
• Toxicity: none (Echinacea medicinal)

Sources

• Echinacea trial report — Mt. Cuba Center
• Echinacea 'Hot Papaya' — Missouri Botanical Garden