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      23 Different Types of Beautiful Coneflower Varieties

      Are you thinking of planting some coneflowers in your garden this season? There are a number of different types of perennial coneflowers you can grow, depending on your climate. In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago walks through some of the top types of coneflower, with names and pictures of each!

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      Written by Last updated: October 2, 2023 | 12 min read

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      While choosing a coneflower to grow in your garden you may find yourself a bit overwhelmed! There are so many different varieties to choose from. Where do you start?

      The most important thing you need to consider before purchasing a coneflower is where you want to plant them! Coneflowers need full sun, and well draining soil. You should also take note of how tall you want your coneflowers to be. Once you have that all sorted out, you can focus on flower color, and start having a little fun!

      We’ve hand selected the following list of some beautiful coneflower varieties that should be relatively easy to find, either at your garden center or online. The following varieties will make your perennial garden stand out and provide plenty of long lasting color to your flowerbeds!

      White Varieties

      Looking for some beautiful white perennial blooms for your flower garden? Coneflowers don’t only bloom with their notorious pink or purple blooms. You can find plenty of varieties that bloom in beautiful shades of white. Let’s take a look at the most popular.

      ‘Delicious Nougat’

      Close-up of three-flowered white-clear Coneflower Delicious Nougat blooms in a garden. The flowers have thin long creamy-white petals surrounding the seed head covered with greenish-yellow small petals, forming double booms. Dark green leaves, elliptical in shape on strong stems.
      Delicious Nougat produces creamy white flowers with greenish-yellow center petals.
      • Flower Type: Double
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 18 inches wide
      • Bloom Time: Late Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      This white variety of coneflower offers up creamy white petals. The seed head develops into greenish yellow petals creating double flowers and giving the classic shuttlecock shape with some extra pizazz. The foliage is deep green and the stems are strong and sturdy while remaining compact.

      ‘Delicious nougat’ will bloom in late summer and would make a great addition to your garden borders, your cut flower garden and your butterfly or wildlife gardens.

      ‘Eyecatcher Swan Song’

      Close-up of blooming snow-white booms of Eyecatcher Swan Song Echinacea against a backdrop of bright green lanceolate foliage. They are similar to daisies, have white rounded petals and a golden center. A dragonfly sits on one of the unopened green buds, and a bee sits on one of the blooms.
      Eyecatcher Swan Song have snow-white flowers with a yellowish-orange center, reminiscent of daisies.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 18 inches wide
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      Beautiful 4 inch flowers in a crisp shade of white fill off this heavily branched coneflower variety. The heavy branching means more flowers for your garden! This coneflower gives you all of the daisy vibes with its pretty gold colored seed head. The foliage is a deep green and accents the white flowers perfectly.

      Use swan song as an edge or border perennial where you are looking to make a big impact. Using the crisp white flowers in front of some brightly colored perennials or taller annuals would anchor your garden in a nice neat way. Perhaps plant them in front of some evergreens to soften up your foundation plantings.

      ‘Kismet White’

      Close-up of 5 Kismet White coneflowers surrounded by dark green pointed-tipped lanceolate leaves and a few unopened buds. Coneflower has large white flowers with oblong, textured petals surrounding a golden cone. Some leaves in the garden are covered with raindrops.
      This variety produces gorgeous white blooms with a golden seedhead.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- 1 ½ feet tall, can spread to 18 inches wide
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      ‘Kismet white’ is a shorter white variety that still packs a pretty punch. This white variety will bloom earlier and longer into the fall than other coneflowers. The seed head of kismet white is green and will mature to a golden color. The dark green foliage of ‘kismet white’ allows the white petals to really stand out.

      This coneflower was bred to have more prolific blooms than other varieties, and they hit the nail on the head. Along with its nice upright nature this coneflower might just be the perfect white variety. Add this variety to your perennial border, or add them to your cut arrangements so you can enjoy the beauty indoors as well

      ‘PowWow White’

      Lots of blooming PowWow White Echinacea in a sunny garden. Beautiful white, downward-curving petals surround a yellow-gold seed head. The leaves are olive green, lanceolate, becoming smaller and narrower at the top of the stem.
      This variety does not require special care, it blooms with beautiful white blooms with petals curved down.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 2 feet wide
      • Bloom Time: Early Summer through fall
      • Plant Zone: 3-8

      This echinacea variety will rebloom without any deadheading, making powwow white a perfect choice for a low-maintenance perennial garden. The pretty white downward arching petals surround a yellow-gold seed head ‘PowWow white’ is loaded with flowers on each of its many branches.

      This is another early blooming coneflower with blooms lasting from early summer until first frost. If you are not bothered by the drying seedheads leave them on your plant for the birds to feed on once the weather gets chilly.

      Pink Varieties

      Looking for a more traditional coneflower color? The following perennial pink blooming varieties are a great option to brighten up your flowerbeds. From lighter pink to magenta, there are plenty of different colored pink coneflowers to choose from.

      ‘Evolution Colorific’

      Close-up of many Evolution Colorific pink coneflowers blooming against blurred green foliage. The blooms are medium-sized, daisy-shaped, with elongated, rounded, bright pink petals surrounding a dark pink cone with a hint of green in the middle. Some petals have brown dry tips.
      Evolution Colorific blooms in several shades of pink as it matures, giving a stunning look to your garden.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 18 inches wide
      • Bloom Time: Late Spring through Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      If you love shades of pink in your garden but you can’t decide exactly what shade you want, this is the plant for you. Throughout the season these pretty flowers will have multiple shades of pink petals wrapped around a green cone. ‘Evolution colorific’ ranges in color from a light pink to a brighter pink as they age, they make a garden all on their own!

      Blooming early on, be sure to add them to areas of your garden that have a blooming gap after the spring bulbs have passed.

      ‘Sombrero Tres Amigos’

      Close-up of 6-7 Sombrero Tres Amigos echinacea in the garden. The blooms are large, with long petals of peach and rose-pink hues surrounding reddish-orange seed heads. The stems are strong, green, coarsely textured.
      Sombrero Tres Amigos produces bright pink blooms that fade burgundy by autumn.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 2 feet wide
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      This variety of coneflower is multicolored as well! These flowers will start the season in a fresh shade of peach, age to rose pink, and finally maturing and fading to burgundy just in time for the fall.

      Occasionally you will get a good fall bloom which may give you the opportunity to see all three colors on one plant at the same time. The seed heads begin as a lime green and fade to a reddish orange when they mature.

      This is a great compact variety that would be great used in a smaller garden or even in your containers.

      ‘Southern Belle’

      Close-up of many blooming Southern Belle coneflower double flowers in a sunny green garden. The blooms are large, bright purple, double, spherical, have elongated thin pale pink petals arranged in one row around densely spaced small oblong petals creating a lush beautiful flower. The leaves are dark green in color, lanceolate in shape with pointed ends.
      This incredible variety of Echinacea produces vibrant purple double blooms.
      • Flower Type: Double
      • Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall, can spread to 3 feet wide
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 5-9

      This coneflower is quite beautiful with its vibrant magenta double flowers. As the season progresses these long bloomers will fade slightly to a lighter pink, but they will not look washed out. There have been some cases of disease with this variety, however, it has shown rigor when planted in full sun with well draining soil.

      Use ‘Southern Belle’ in your sunny gardens or in containers on your sunny patios. The blooms will last you from summertime until the first frost hits.

      Purple Varieties

      Purple is the most popular and common color for Echinacea. When most gardeners think of coneflowers, they immediately think of their beautiful purple perennial flowers. There are a number of different purple flowering varieties to choose from.

      ‘PowWow Wild Berry’

      Close-up of three purple PowWow Wild Berry Echinacea surrounded by dark green, elliptical, roughly textured leaves. The blooms are dark purple, have oblong petals and a classic golden-orange cone. Several unopened green buds grow between them.
      This variety blooms with deep purple blooms with classic golden orange cones.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 2 feet wide
      • Bloom Time: Summer
      • Plant Zone: 3-8

      ‘PowWow wild berry’ is a well loved variety and it is easy to see why. The deep purple to magenta flowers are vibrant and unmatchable They do not fade or wash out as the season progresses. Its cones are a classic golden orange adding to the pretty contrast.

      No need to deadhead this variety, it will keep on blooming all summer long without any extra help from you. This variety is a good choice for a manicured garden as its habit is neat and tidy with a compact size.

      ‘Purple Emperor’

      Close-up of many blooming Purple Emperor Echinacea in the form of a bush with long stems covered with fine hairs and dense foliage. The blooms are large, bright purple with dark orange cones.
      Purple Emperor is an upright-growing Echinacea that produces purple flower petals with a deep orange cone.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- ½ feet tall, can spread to 1 ½ feet
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      For a fragrant coneflower option, try purple emperor. This classic variety will bloom throughout most of the summer with gorgeous magenta flowers. As the season passes only the tips of the petals will fade to a lighter pink while most of the flower stays vibrant. The cone is a deep orange with hints of black.

      ‘Purple emperor’ is an upright growing coneflower with a busy habit making it a great choice for perennial gardens that could use some filling.

      ‘Sweet Sandia’

      Close-up of two Sweet Sandia Echinacea against a blurred dark green lanceolate foliage. The blooms are large, have thin petals of pale pink color with green tips, reminiscent of a slice of watermelon. The cones are classic golden-orange. A light gray spider with long legs sits on a petal.
      This is the perfect summer flower with purplish-pink petals towards the center and petals with green tips.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 1 ½ feet
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      ‘Sweet sandia’ may just be the perfect summer flower because it has been described as looking like a slice of watermelon. The flower petals are a purple-pink towards the center with green tips. The cones are the classic golden orange you see with many pink and purple coneflower varieties.

      This variety blooms heavily for a compact plant and can be used anywhere in your garden from containers to tight spaces in perennial gardens or in sunny borders.

      Yellow Varieties

      Looking for a yellow perennial flower that isn’t a Black-eyed Susan or a sunflower? Echinacea flowers in many different shades of bright yellow hues. From light yellow to bright yellow like the sun, there are many different types of coneflower to choose from.

      ‘Butterfly Cleopatra’

      Close-up of blooming bright yellow Butterfly Cleopatra Echinacea in a sunny garden against a dark background. Creamy yellow blooms with golden seed heads. Petals slightly drooping down.
      This variety of coneflower has bright yellow flowers with golden cones.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- ½ feet tall, can spread to 16 inches
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      Brightly colored yellow flowers with golden cones adorn this heavily branched coneflower variety. As the blooms on ‘butterfly cleopatra’ age they will fade to a beautiful creamy yellow. These flowers will grow to just shy of 4 inches wide, and they will grow on top of sturdy upright stems.

      ‘Butterfly cleopatra’ is a dwarf coneflower and could be used in tight garden spaces as well as container gardens. This coneflower variety will bloom throughout most of the summer and into the fall.

      ‘Color Coded Yellow My Darling’

      Top view, close-up of many bright yellow Color Coded Yellow My Darling echinacea flowers in a sunny garden. The flowers are large with bright yellow petals surrounding copper cones. A bee sits on one of the flowers.
      Color Coded Yellow My Darling produces magnificent large golden yellow blooms with copper cones.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 20 inches
      • Bloom Time: Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      The golden yellow flowers on this variety will rival your black eyed susans. These large flowers will open in a rich golden yellow and slightly fade to a creamier yellow as they age. The cones are a copper cold. The petals on ‘Yellow my Darling’ are horizontal giving a very strong daisy-like appearance.

      ‘Yellow my darling branches’ heavily, resulting in lots of blooms for your perennial gardens! Don’t forget to add this plant to your cut flower garden as well! The blooms make beautiful additions to your arrangements.

      ‘Eye Catcher Canary Feathers’

      Close-up of a yellow echinacea flower Eye Catcher Canary Feathers on a blurred leafy background. The flower is large, with bright yellow petals and a golden cone. A green unopened bud grows next to the flower.
      Eye Catcher Canary Feathers bloom in mid-summer with bright yellow flowers with golden cones.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 1 ½ feet
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      Bright yellow flowers cover this coneflower variety. The flowers can reach up to 5 inches wide and have golden cones. The eye catcher collection of coneflowers, including canary feathers, is known for its heavy branching which leads to more pretty yellow flowers for your garden! Canary feathers will bloom in mid summer and will last until frost.

      Plant in a mass along your walkway or in your containers for a sweet welcome for your guests.

      Orange Varieties

      Are you looking for a bright, bold statement in your garden? Adding some orange coneflowers in a container or as a low growing border plant can add a bright, cheery ambience to your flowerbeds. There are a few different perennial orange blooming varieties to choose from.

      ‘Eye Catcher Atomic Orange’

      Lots of bright orange blooming Eye Catcher Atomic Orange echinacea flowers surrounded by green leaves. The flowers are large, rich orange, almost tangerine in color with dark orange cones.
      This incredibly bright coneflower variety has rich orange flowers with orange cones.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- 1 ½ feet tall, can spread to 18 inches
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      This coneflower looks like a sunset on a plant. The petals of atomic orange are a rich almost tangerine orange, but the undersides of the petals are a bright pink. The 4 inch flowers grow around an orange cone. Atomic orange may be compact in size, but its impact on your flower beds will be huge.

      Plant these bright orange flowers with your purple perennials for a perfect color combination. The pink undersides of the petals will tie everything together!

      ‘Moab Sunset’

      Close-up of Moab Sunset Echinacea blooming double orange flowers surrounded by green stems and chaotic bright green leaves in a garden. The flowers consist of long thin orange petals drooping down and many radial petals surrounding a densely packed cone of petals.
      Moab Sunset produces double fragrant orange flowers that have radial petals surrounding a densely packed cone.
      • Flower Type: Double
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall, can spread to 2 feet
      • Bloom Time: Summer into fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      The flowers on moab sunset remind me of gerbera daisies. The double flowers are fragrant. The radial petals surround an intensely packed cone of petals The long lasting flowers will provide the perfect fall color to your garden until the frost hits. Leave the spent cones on the plant for extra interest, and extra bird food!

      Add ‘moab sunset’ to your perennial gardens and your containers, but this is a perfect addition to your fresh bouquets so be sure to plant one or two of these coneflowers to your cut flower garden.

      ‘Prima Ginger’

      Close-up of three blooming Echinacea Prima Ginger flowers next to a potted coleus in a sunny garden. The flowers have light orange petals, slightly curled inward, surrounding green cones. The leaves are dark green, long, lacent, textured. A pot with a plant stands on a corton.
      Prima Ginger blooms with large orange flowers, the petals of which fade into a light orange with the onset of fall.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1 ½ feet tall, can spread to 1 ½ feet
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      Another gorgeous orange option for your garden. These large orange flowers surround a large orange cone. As the summer fades into the fall these orange petals will also fade into a lighter orange and pale pink.

      ‘Prima ginger’ is very compact and would be gorgeously used in the front of your perennial gardens.

      ‘Supreme Cantaloupe’

      Close-up of blooming Echinacea Supreme Cantaloupe flowers in soft orange, planted as a small shrub in a sunny garden. Flowers in the form of peach pom-poms are surrounded by densely packed inner petals and drooping outer petals. In the background, dark green heart-shaped leaves of growing plants in the garden.
      This variety has light orange, peach, pom-pom-like double flowers.
      • Flower Type: Double
      • Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall, can spread to 3 feet
      • Bloom Time: Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-10

      ‘Supreme cantaloupe’ is a pretty coneflower variety that has pretty soft light orange flowers that just happen to resemble the inside of a cantaloupe. The inner petals are densely packed and look like peach pom poms. As if the beauty of these coneflowers is not enough, they offer a lovely fragrance.

      Red Varieties

      One of the more rare colors of coneflower are varieties with bright red perennial blooms. While you might not think of Echinacea as having red flowers, there are a few different varieties that can provide some bold red color to your flowerbeds.

      ‘Hot Papaya’

      Close-up of three red Hot Papaya coneflowers against a green blurred background. The flowers are medium, double, with drooping, thin, elongated red petals surrounding densely spaced inner petals.
      Hot Papaya produces rich red, double flowers reminiscent of parrot feathers.
      • Flower Type: Double
      • Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall, can spread to 3 feet
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      This red coneflower has the look of red parrot feathers. The center cone of ‘hot papaya’ is filled with frilly double petals. The flowers are red with hints of orange and they hold their color very nicely throughout the summer without too much fading. The flowers have the appearance of floating on top of their sturdy stems.

      Add ‘hot papaya’ throughout your perennial gardens and enjoy the dancing fiery red flowers amongst your other flowering perennials.

      ‘Kismet Red’

      There are many blooming Kismet Red echinacea flowers in fiery red against a green blurred garden. Flowers of a classical form, consist of oval elongated petals surrounding a dark copper cone. There are lanceolate leaves with pronounced pointed ends are placed on the thin green stems.
      This beautiful variety produces fiery red flowers with a dark copper cone.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 18 inches high, can spread to 24 inches
      • Bloom Time: Summer into Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      ‘Kismet red’ is a classic red coneflower. Its single petals do not disappoint, they are fiery red and surround a dark copper cone. Even though ‘kismet red’ is a more compact coneflower, there will be more than enough flowers to give your garden those splashes of red you are desiring.

      Simple to maintain, as the rest of the coneflower group, all this plant requires from you is optional deadheading!

      ‘Salsa Red’

      Close-up of many blooming rich red Salsa Red Echinacea flowers surrounded by green lanceolate leaves, coarsely textured and unopened buds. The flowers are large, consist of oval oblong petals and rich red cones.
      These rich red Salsa Red coneflower flowers have slightly drooping petals surrounding a chocolate brown cone.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall, can spread to 22 inches
      • Blooom Time: Late spring until Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      A beautiful red coneflower choice is ‘salsa red’. The single petals are a rich red, and as the flowers age the tips of the petals fade a bit to a lighter orange. The cone of ‘salsa red’ is a rich chocolatey brown. Unlike some coneflowers whose petals are horizontal, these droop a bit towards the ground giving the flower the look of a badminton birdie.

      Try planting ‘salsa red’ in your smaller gardens that could use a color boost, or maybe in your full sun containers.

      Other Colored Varieties

      Looking for something in-between? There are a number of different types of coneflower that straddle the line between one color and another. These options are not as common, so you may have to search local nurseries a little more aggressively, and canvas online plant shops to find them.

      ‘Firefinch’

      A close-up of many blooming Echinacea Firefinch flowers against a backdrop of green oblong leaves with pointed ends. The flowers combine red, coral and hot pink with classic golden cones. A small bee sits on one of the flowers.
      This variety is a combination of red, coral, and pink flowers that will make a great addition to your flower garden.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- 1 ½ feet tall, can spread to 18 inches
      • Bloom Time: Summer through Fall
      • Plant Zone: 4-8

      ‘Firefinch’ is a beautiful variety that is a combination of bright colors. This shorter variety boasts a combination of red, coral and bright pink flowers. The cones on ‘firefinch’ are the classic rich gold. The color combination on firefinch is perfect, you almost don’t need anything else in your garden!

      Try planting this variety as a border plant on its own, maybe bordering a patio or pool area.

      ‘Green Jewel’

      Close-up of green flowers of Echinacea Green Jewel in a sunny garden. The petals are light green in color, slightly directed upwards, and the cone is dark green. The leaves are olive green, latent, surrounded by tall stems.
      Green Jewel produces delightful flowers with pale green petals and a rich green cone.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1-2 feet, can spread to 18 inches
      • Bloom Time: Mid Summer
      • Plant Zone: 3-8

      Your friends will be green with envy when they see ‘green jewel’ growing in your garden. The petals are a light green and the cone is a dark green. Planting green flowers in your garden may seem silly, but there really is something special about the texture and depth of green flowers. These gorgeous green flowers can reach up to 5 inch across.

      Plant this coneflower anywhere in your garden that receives full sun. The green petals will compliment anything you have growing in your gardens.

      ‘Tiger’

      Close-up of two large bright orange Tiger echinacea flowers blooming in a sunny garden against a blurred background of bright orange flowers. The flowers have long, thin, fiery orange petals with dark copper cones. On one of the flowers, a bee collects nectar.
      Tiger blooms with bright flowers with tangerine-colored petals that turn pale yellow or even pink during the growing season.
      • Flower Type: Single
      • Plant Size: 1- ½ feet tall, can spread to 18 inches
      • Bloom Time: Summer
      • Plant Zone: 4-9

      This variety could fall into the orange, pink, or yellow categories. There is so much going on with ‘tiger’ that it was hard to designate its color. Throughout the growing season the cone of the flower will remain a deep copper while the petals will change from tangerine to a faded yellow or pink.

      Plant this dwarf coneflower variety in the front of your perennial borders. It also makes a great container plant and plays nicely as a companion with other perennials.

      Final Thoughts

      No matter which one of these gorgeous varieties you choose for your garden you will enjoy their long lasting blooms well into the early winter every season. These dependable perennials return bigger and better each year with little to no care from you. Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to feed the birds!

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