'Henry Eilers' Coneflower $13.99 each 1 Gallon

* Host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly

The "Henry Eilers" coneflower, scientifically known as Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers', is a cultivar of the sweet coneflower, distinguished by its unique, quilled, lemon-yellow petals that roll inward, giving the flower a tubular or starburst appearance. It's a late-blooming, upright perennial, reaching 4-5 feet in height, and is known for its vanilla-anise scented foliage and its ability to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. 

Key Characteristics:

• Quilled Petals: The most notable feature is the unique shape of the petals, which are rolled inward, creating a tubular or quilled effect rather than the flat, spreading shape of typical coneflowers. 

• Color: The flowers are a bright, lemon-yellow with a dark brown center disk. 

• Fragrance: The foliage emits a pleasant vanilla-anise scent when crushed. 

• Height and Spread: Typically grows 4-5 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide. 

• Bloom Time: Blooms from mid-summer through fall, with peak bloom in mid-August. 

• Hardiness: Hardy in USDA zones 4-8. 

• Sun and Water: Prefers full sun (6+ hours) but can tolerate part sun (4-6 hours) and average moisture levels. 

• Soil: Tolerates a range of soil types, including clay soil and drought conditions. 

Origin and History:

• Discovered by Henry Eilers, a retired nurseryman and prairie restoration specialist, in a prairie remnant along a railroad track in southern Illinois.

• Introduced to the horticulture trade by Larry Lowman.