Fall colors – they’re so pretty. All the golds, reds, oranges, and bronzes accented with greens and deep purples. What if there was an option for fall planters that produced all these colors, simultaneously, on one plant? There is. It’s Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit,’ and you’ll find it making the greenhouse a richly colorful place.
‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is the same perennial Echinacea cultivar you’ll find in Hardy Plants, but the greenhouse version in eight-inch pots is “fun-sized” for fall containers. Like the colorful tropical croton does for summer planters, ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ brings a bunch of different colors to the arrangement. You can select any of the colors in the flowers to match or contrast with other plants, creating whatever color scheme you’d like. For example, combine a ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ rich in red, orange, and yellow with a matching orange heuchera and a bronze mum for an analogous mix of warm fall color. Or, pair your ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ with dark purple heuchera and annual grass for a dramatic contrast that will make its orange and gold colors practically explode out of the container. For visual balance, add neutral tones with silvery-gray kale, green Algerian ivy, or white birch poles — your eyes will need a place to rest in all this autumn gorgeousness.
As for care, Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ loves full sun for maximum health and color. Water as you would your summer container plants, but keep in mind that, as we transition into fall, overwatering becomes a concern. Let the top of the soil in the container dry some before each thorough watering. If you’re thinking of transplanting ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ into the landscape, the earlier the better – definitely before October. You’ll give it time to establish a good root system before the ground freezes and increase the chances it comes back next year. After moving your Echinacea to the landscape, you can always fill the gap in your container with a new blooming mum or a big, orange pumpkin.
But, for now, enjoy the exuberant color ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ can bring to your planters. As different buds open, you may even be surprised by a new color you hadn’t planned on. Your arrangement could shift from analogous to contrasting to something else entirely. But it’s fall, and there’s beauty in the cornucopia of color the season brings.
