Hi, Julie, Such a particular problem requires a particular response鈥攁nd our experience with this particular combination of circumstances is shallow. So we sought out some people/sources who appear to be experts.
鈥 This page suggests that the 鈥渧ast majority of coneflower being propagated in Florida does not come from Florida stock鈥 and so acts like annuals in Florida; this could be your problem: http://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com/2013/07/purple-coneflower-echinacea-purpurea.html
鈥 This page says that Purple Coneflower is native, but can be vulnerable to slugs: http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu/res_hort/pp.html#Purple%20Coneflower
鈥 As the first link suggests, there are several varieties of coneflower, more still because they were produced/introduced in a rainbow of colors a few years ago. It’s not clear what your hybrid is, and that’s why this page may be of interest. Scroll down through the alphabet of plants on this page until you get to 鈥淐one Flower.鈥 You’ll see a picture of a YELLOW鈥拢辞迟 PURPLE鈥攆lower. The text indicates that this variety is native to Florida and thus more likely to thrive. http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/gardentalk/flowers.html (Pls note that there is a plant sale mentioned in this text; we have absolutely no information on that event; contact the source of the page for more information.)
We hope this helps! Gardening is always an experiment in nature.
Hi, Julie, Such a particular problem requires a particular response鈥攁nd our experience with this particular combination of circumstances is shallow. So we sought out some people/sources who appear to be experts.
鈥 This page suggests that the 鈥渧ast majority of coneflower being propagated in Florida does not come from Florida stock鈥 and so acts like annuals in Florida; this could be your problem: http://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com/2013/07/purple-coneflower-echinacea-purpurea.html
鈥 This page says that Purple Coneflower is native, but can be vulnerable to slugs: http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu/res_hort/pp.html#Purple%20Coneflower
鈥 As the first link suggests, there are several varieties of coneflower, more still because they were produced/introduced in a rainbow of colors a few years ago. It’s not clear what your hybrid is, and that’s why this page may be of interest. Scroll down through the alphabet of plants on this page until you get to 鈥淐one Flower.鈥 You’ll see a picture of a YELLOW鈥拢辞迟 PURPLE鈥攆lower. The text indicates that this variety is native to Florida and thus more likely to thrive. http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/gardentalk/flowers.html (Pls note that there is a plant sale mentioned in this text; we have absolutely no information on that event; contact the source of the page for more information.)
We hope this helps! Gardening is always an experiment in nature.