Product Description
Echinacea 'Raspberry Ripple' PPAF - DOUBLE DIPPED® Collection (30)ct Flat
Echinacea 'Raspberry Ripple' is a delightful new introduction from the DOUBLE DIPPED® Series of coneflowers, celebrated for their exceptionally large, fully double flowers. This cultivar features charming, round, raspberry pink flowers, each accented with a dark central eye, creating a luscious "ripple" effect of color. The impressive four½-inch blooms boast wide, overlapping ray petals, giving them a rich, full appearance. 'Raspberry Ripple' achieves a substantial landscape size of 2-2½ feet tall, making it an ideal choice for the middle of the border, where its vibrant blooms are supported with ease by strong, well-branched stems. A mounded habit of dark green foliage provides an attractive contrast to the bright flowers. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this coneflower is a magnet for pollinators and offers valuable winter interest, with its dried seed heads providing food for finches and other birds, as well as architectural beauty in the dormant garden. The best performance is achieved in full sun and well-drained soils, ensuring a robust and long-lasting display.
'Raspberry Ripple' exhibits a robust, upright, and mounded growth habit, reaching a landscape size of 2-2.5 feet tall with a spread of 18-24 inches. The dark green foliage forms a dense base. The most striking morphological feature is its large, fully double flowers, measuring approximately four½ inches in diameter. These blooms are round, a vibrant raspberry pink, and feature a distinct dark central eye. The numerous, wide, and overlapping ray petals contribute to their full and luxurious appearance. The flowers are borne on strong, well-branched stems that easily support the weight of the large blooms. After flowering, if left on the plant, the central cones develop into prominent seed heads, which persist through winter, providing structural interest.
- Foliage: Dark green, mounded habit.
- Flowers: Large (4½"), fully double, round, raspberry pink with dark central eyes.
- Bloom Time: Midsummer to Late Summer.
- Height: 22.0-26.0 Inches (55-66 cm)
- Spread: 18.0-24.0 Inches (45-60 cm)
- Growth Rate: Medium.
- Attracts: Butterflies, Bees.
- Critter Resistant: Deer resistant.
- Seasonal Interest: Dried seed heads provide winter food for birds (finches) and architectural interest.
- Fragrance: Fragrant flowers.
- Other Features: Excellent as a cut flower, can be dried for arrangements, suitable for mass planting, container plant, border plant.
- Hardiness Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Flower Color: Pink shades (raspberry pink)
- Foliage Color: Green shades
- Sunlight: Full Sun (> 6 hours Direct Sun) to Part Shade (4-6 hours Direct Sun)
- Water Requirements: Low Water Needs, Average Water Needs
- Soil Quality: Tolerates Poor, Average, and Fertile Soil Quality
- Soil Chemistry: Adaptable to Acidic (pH < 7.0), Neutral (pH = 7.0), and Alkaline (pH > 7.0) Soil
- PPAF: Plant Patent Applied For
- DOUBLE DIPPED® Series: Indicates it is part of a specific series of double-flowered Echinacea cultivars.
- Origin: Native to North America (referring to the species, Echinacea purpurea)
While 'Raspberry Ripple' is a cultivated variety, its parent species, Echinacea purpurea, is native to the central and eastern United States. It naturally occurs in prairies, open woodlands, and savannas, typically in full sun and well-drained soils. This origin informs its preference for sunny, hot conditions and its drought tolerance once established.
Landscaping Design Tips
Echinacea 'Raspberry Ripple' is a vibrant and resilient perennial that adds cheerful color and structure to various garden styles.
- Mid-Border Placement: Its substantial height of 2-2.5 feet makes it perfectly suited for the middle of a perennial border, where its abundant blooms can be admired without obscuring shorter plants.
- Pollinator Garden Essential: Its large, nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for butterflies and bees, making it a crucial component of any pollinator-friendly garden.
- Cottage Garden Charm: The cheerful, brightly colored double flowers fit seamlessly into the informal, abundant aesthetic of cottage gardens.
- Prairie and Meadow Gardens: Given its native lineage, 'Raspberry Ripple' is an excellent choice for naturalistic prairie or meadow designs, adding a vibrant, structured element.
- Eclectic Gardens: Its bold color and unique double flowers allow it to serve as a strong specimen plant or a vibrant border addition in eclectic designs.
- Mass Planting: For a truly impactful display, consider mass planting 'Raspberry Ripple'. The collective visual of its round, raspberry pink blooms will create a stunning and continuous spectacle.
- Container Gardening: Despite its landscape size, it performs well in large patio containers, providing a striking focal point with its unique flower form and long bloom time.
- Cut Flower Gardens: The strong stems and long-lasting double blooms make 'Raspberry Ripple' an excellent choice for cut flower arrangements, bringing summer cheer indoors.
- Winter Interest: Do not deadhead all spent blooms in the fall. Leaving some seed heads provides a crucial food source for finches and other birds during winter and adds interesting architectural structure to the dormant garden.
Hardiness
Echinacea 'Raspberry Ripple' is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8, indicating its ability to withstand a range of winter temperatures across many regions.
Planting and Cultivation
- Location: Coneflowers like it sunny and hot. For best performance and maximum flower production, plant 'Raspberry Ripple' in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day). While it will tolerate light shade (4-6 hours direct sun), fewer flowers will be produced, and the plants may be weakened or leggy.
- Soil: 'Raspberry Ripple' performs best in well-drained soil. Light, loamy soil is ideal, but it will grow in any well-drained soil type, from poor to fertile. Good drainage is essential to prevent root rot. It is adaptable to a wide range of soil pH, from acidic to neutral to alkaline.
- Planting:
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide.
- Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen any circling roots.
- Place the plant in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
- Backfill with soil, gently tamping down to remove air pockets.
- Water thoroughly after planting.
- Watering: Once established, 'Raspberry Ripple' is quite drought-tolerant, requiring low to average water needs. However, during prolonged dry periods, especially in its first growing season, consistent watering will help it establish a strong root system. Avoid overwatering.
- Fertilization: In average to fertile soils, 'Raspberry Ripple' typically doesn't require heavy fertilization. If your soil is very poor, a light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring as new growth emerges can be beneficial. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can promote foliage growth at the expense of flowers.
- Maintenance:
- Deadheading: Deadheading spent flower heads will extend the flowering time and prevent unwanted self-seeding, encouraging more blooms throughout the season.
- Winter Care: Be sure to leave some spent blooms on the plants in the fall because their seeds provide winter food for finches and other birds. The dried seed heads also provide architectural interest. Cut back the old foliage in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
- Longevity: If properly cared for, 'Raspberry Ripple' will form attractive colonies and will live for many years.
- Pests and Diseases: Coneflowers are generally robust and rarely troubled by serious pests or diseases, and 'Raspberry Ripple' is deer resistant.
Thirty (30) plants per flat (or tray). (30) Count Deep Cell Flat Plug: 4.25-inch deep x 2-inch wide
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
