I have exatly this same thing with the Sunset I bought from Wayside last season. I am hoping this has to due with lack of watering but if you've got it also, it makes me worried...

I've had my 'Sunset's (I have two) for a couple of years now, and both years my blooms looked just like this. I have nothing against quilled petals, but these are extraordinarily narrow and unremarkable. There's no impact -- in fact you wouldn't notice they were blooming unless you were right on top of them. I don't think it's cultural as I have many varieties of echinacea thriving right alongside them (including 'Sunrise', which is very nice!). Shovel pruning is imminent.

Regards,
- Becky

perhaps we can trace a bigger problem - where did you all buy yours?

I am also having the same problem. My Sunrise and my Harvest Moon are just fine, but not the Sunset. I agree also that you can't even tell it's blooming unless you're right on top of it. This is the second year for mine. I can't remember where I bought it from though. There's three places it could have come from.

mwieder -

FWIW, I purchased mine at a very reputable nursery chain here in the Twin Cities - Bachman's. They both came with the requisite commercial plant label from the hybridizer. I did not mail order mine.

Regards,
- Becky

Looks like Plant Delights Nursery gives a refund on them. Read the second half of the third paragraph here.

http://four.pairlist.net/pipermail/announcements/2006-September/000063.html

That's pretty interesting, that a major nursery like PDN has acknowledged the problem and is giving refunds. I've emailed www.itsaulplants.com (who released it) to see what they say,
Frances

Frances, please let us know if you get a response from the company that released it. I have one that is doing the same thing--planted last spring but it didn't flower until this year. I got mine through mail order either from Bluestone Perennials or Flower Scent Gardens, which went out of business this spring.
Marcia

ItSaul plants has acknowledged this as a known issue and pulled the plant from production. I suggested to them that in the future they put out a release to that effect so that we can find out such information in the first place.

However, this has been a great example of the usefullness of these message boards and the internet in general; I'm certain in the future, we all would have just assumed we had a bad plant and not thought twice about it. Now we see have discovered a greater problem.

I bought my 'Sunset' at Well-Sweep Herb Farm. The first flower was fine but after taking a closer look I have some quilled petals on the newer flowers. It's a good thing that Frances contacted me, I have 'Sunset' listed on my exchange page. I started to do some research on the Internet and ran across this thread.
Frances thank you for bringing this to my attention, I guess we won't be swapping after all...LOL
Mariann

Mine didn't even make it over the winter. Guess I saved me a shovel prune!

I just checked online where I got mine and they are still offering it. as "Top Seller" no less. I should ask them about it.

My Sunset died soon after purchase, never even saw it bloom. Twilight, Sundown, & Harvest Moon which were bought at the same time from the same place and planted in the same bed all did fine, blooming some the first season and wintering over and now blooming this year.

When I replied to the very long "Comments on the performance of echinaceas" thread I forgot all about it, until this posting. Sure enough it's on my list and marked DIED within a month. Certainly sounds like a weak plant that doesn't belong in the marketplace.

Upper NY state. I have "sunset' too. bought some from Brecks and some at Walmart. I do NOT nor HAVE NOT ever had this problem.

I also have a Sunset doing that. I bought it from Jung's, a reputable chain here in Wisconsin that's been in business for over 100 years.

Char

No one has said this affects all 'Sunset' echinaceas, but as this thread shows, some defective propagated plants are out there. I think the moral here is that if you have to have one, you're best off seeing it in bloom before you buy it.

Regards,
- Becky

I might have a defective plant. It is in its second year and is still small. The petals aren't opening on the first bloom; I've been waiting a few days. Guess I'll wait a little longer :(

Is this how it's looking for everyone else, or worse?
{{gwi:240450}}

tracey - looks like you've got a winner as well :(
You'll get some flowers on that plant that look more normal, but I haven't gotten a single flower that has all normal petals.

tracey - Bingo!

Thanks for the photo. I've got 9 blooms just like that all on one plant. My blooms are several weeks old and probably not going to open any further. It did the same thing last year.

Perfect photo - explains a lot!

Regards,
- Becky

Personally I think mine looks pretty good compared to tracy's. Only an occasional quilled petal.

{{gwi:248945}}