The coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ breed offers a shorter, more branched habit than most Echinacea cultivars, allowing them to grow without plant growth regulators. It blooms in summer, offering white, cream, pink, red, yellow, orange, and purple flowers with brown disks. It is a creation of Kieft-Pro Seeds in 2012 and the holder of Europe’s FleuroSelect Gold Medal award for garden performance.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Gold Medal for the attractiveness of its flowers and their rich color range, its sturdiness and low water needs, Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ has won the hearts and minds of many gardeners. How to resist the gorgeous mix of sunset shades, ranging from purple, pink, red, orange, yellow to cream and white, of the large daisy-like blossoms, up to 3-4 in. wide (7-10 cm). Beautifully carried on sturdy, well-branched stems, they remain upright and do not topple over, even during wind and rain.
An early bloomer, this compact coneflower provides a vibrant floral display in the garden from early to late summer, sometimes with additional sporadic bloom until frost. Requiring little water and low care, this upright perennial is perfect for perennial borders, prairies or cottage gardens.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ are long-day plants, preferring plenty of sunlight. During blooming, 14-16 hours of sunlight per day should be ensured for 7-8 weeks. For optimum posture and a maximum number of flowers, coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ should be planted in a place with at least 5 hours of full sun per day. The plant can adapt to partially-shaded environments, but the stem posture may become twisted in the search for adequate sunlight.
Temperature
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ thrive in hot and dry climates and adapt to various temperatures and humidity fluctuations. The plant does not perform well in very humid climates or in rainy areas with wet soil. In colder areas, it should be protected during winter during its first year. For better growth, maintain temperatures of about 16 to 24 ℃ during the day, and about 10 to 16 ℃ at night. High temperatures, preferably 21 to 24 ℃, are required for germination. It can germinate after 2-4 days.
Watering
Thriving in its native prairie habitat, coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is well-adapted to periods of drought but appreciates consistent moisture. It maintains a balance, tolerating occasional dry spells while favoring moderate humidity. For optimal growth, watering every week is recommended. Typically grown outdoors due to its hardy nature, coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ showcases resilience by blooming profusely even when water is not abundant, an adaptation that speaks to its prairie origins where rain can be sporadic.
Soil
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ planted in gardens prefer fertile, well-drained, neutral, sandy soil with a suitable pH value of 6.5-7.0. With fewer soil requirements than other plants, they can thrive in a variety of soil types, including rock and clay soil. However, coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ do not like humid or silty soil and grow best on fertile soil rich in humus.
Fertilizing
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ grow better in soil with sufficient nutrients, but too much fertilizer will weaken their stems and make them spindle. Add long-acting, slow-release fertilizer to the flowerpot soil during planting. After planting, fertilize them 1-2 times a week and supplement them with 0.05% magnesium sulfate 1-2 times as needed to prevent magnesium deficiency. Additionally, apply chelated iron 1-2 times to prevent iron deficiency. Compost can be used to cover the plant each spring to provide the nutrients needed for the healthy growth of leaves and flowers.
Planting Instructions
It is generally recommended to sow seeds in spring or autumn. Soak seeds in warm water for 20-30 min before sowing, then place them in hot water at 55 to 60 ℃. Maintain this water temperature for 10-15 min. Then, add cool water to drop the temperature to 25 to 30 ℃, and soak seeds for 8-10 hours. This speeds up seed germination and disinfects them.
Select well-drained and air-permeable soil, and apply a layer of fertilizer to it in advance. Before sowing the seeds, mix them well with a small amount of fine soil, and drop them evenly on the fertilized soil. Cover them with a layer of soil and slowly water them until it is sufficiently wet. Irrigate with a small amount of water so as not to flood the seeds together to prevent an uneven distribution of seedlings. The seedlings of coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ will usually break out of the soil about 8 days later. When the temperature is maintained at 22 ℃, the seedlings grow up in about 15 days.
When three branches grow out of the seedlings, and they are about 10 cm tall, the dense seedlings can be transplanted into individual flowerpots. Use 15 to 15 cm flowerpots and put one seedling in each pot. Make a culture soil by mixing 1/3 organic fertilizer, 1/3 garden soil, and 1/3 sand. After the seedlings are all transplanted to flowerpots, the soil should be compacted and watered sufficiently and flowerpots should be placed in cool places. 7-10 days later, move coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ to places with sunlight so they can grow normally.
Pruning
Pruning coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ in spring will make them denser and bloom for a longer period of time. Removing deadheads and dead leaves is the main goal of pruning. Removing deadheads will help the plant bloom throughout the summer, and each flower will last for weeks. The flowers will begin to bloom from the top of the stem, and more lateral branches and buds will form along the stem as the first flowers at the stem tip wither.
Propagation
A radiant addition to gardens, coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is best propagated through cuttings to maintain its vibrant color range. Ensure a healthy parent plant by selecting robust stems. Snip a length with several nodes, strip the lower leaves, and dip the cut end into rooting hormone for improved success. Insert the stem into a moist, well-draining soil mix, ensuring adequate humidity and warmth to foster root development.
Transplanting
The prime time to transplant coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is from the flourish of spring to the wane of summer, encapsulating the best conditions for root establishment. Select a site with full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil for optimum growth. If necessary, enrich the soil with compost prior to transplanting to encourage robust development.
III. Uses and Benefits
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is perfect choice for beds and borders, prairies and meadows, wildflower gardens or cottage gardens. It is excellent as cut flowers. If flower heads are not removed in the fall, the blackened cones will be visited by birds that feed on the seeds.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Coneflowers ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ that grow from seeds usually bloom in the second year. When the buds begin to bloom, they can be harvested. The stem should be cut with sharp scissors from the bottom set of leaves. Remove the leaves from the stem after harvesting and remove the extra buds behind the flower heads to avoid excessive consumption of nutrients and water.
