Echinacea Cone-fections™ 'Minbel252' MINI BELLE

AB cultivars is a Dutch breeding company where also a renowned Dutch breeder Arie Blom makes his fantastic echinaceas. Their breeding line focuses on perennials and when it comes to coneflowers as of now they have 6 series where each plants is unique and beautiful. Cone-fections™ is a series comprising of 24 varieties with double flowers with typically elevated cone-like heads.

MINI BELLE coneflower is a shorter version of Arie Blom’s variety Southern Belle bred by Henricus Maria Joseph Holtmaat in 2011. produces 8-9 cm wide, glowing pink, fully double flowers. Among other pink coneflowers with double flowers they are distinguished by white and green centres on young flowers. They are borne atop 40-60 cm tall, slender stems and last for about 3 weeks. Then they are replaced with new flowers produced either down the same stems or on new, slightly shorter stems. Blooming begins in July and continues until late September.

Flowers attract butterflies and bumble bees, and are an important source of food in late summer. Leaves are narrowly lance-shaped just like those on one of its mother plant e. tennesseensis. They are medium green and present predominantly in lower parts of the plant. Cutting back spent flowers down to the first leaf that hides the forthcoming flower bud, as well as occasional feeding will enhance and prolong flowering until early October. Mini Belle coneflower belongs to the Cone-fections™ series, patents: PP28651 (USA – 2017) and EU (45819 – 2017).

Coneflowers tolerate almost any type of soil but boggy. They love full sun and withstand heat. They are suitable for mixed perennial beds or can be used as a flowering feature among low shrubs and conifers. They also look lovely when planted in a mass in a container on patios and balconies. Hardy to min. -34 °C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 07-09-2021