Share: 

Mellow Yellows coneflowers benefit pollinators, songbirds

December 8, 2021

As the days get shorter and we snuggle indoors, gardeners’ thoughts turn to spring. The dark days of late fall and early winter seem to beg for yellow sunshine, and a brilliant-yellow flower owes its name to Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan and his hit “Mellow Yellow.”

The song was rumored to be about getting high from smoking dried banana skins, but it was really about just being laid back and chillin'.

Enter the Mellow Yellows coneflower (Echinacea, hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9). This easy-to-grow perennial will reach 2 to 5 feet high and 2 feet wide. Coneflowers grow in almost any soil as long as it drains well. They will bloom in full sun or partial shade. Coneflowers not only provide nectar and pollen to butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators, but also, their seeds are a nutritious food for many songbirds. Mellow Yellows will bring butterflies and honeybees into your garden. The flowers look like big daisies, and the 32-inch-tall stems give pollinators easy access to the nectar inside the flowers. Those same tall stems make this a great flower for the vase. Coneflowers are naturally resistant to damage from deer and rabbits. Because Mellow Yellow is a selection of the native American species, it is naturally resistant to many diseases and pests. It easily stands up to drought, hot temperatures, high humidity, and poor soil.

Mellow Yellows bloom the first year from seed, and grows bigger and stronger every year. The plant branches nicely and is almost always in bloom. The blossoms range from rich gold to yellow, primrose and even creamy white. This changing play of colors makes Mellow Yellows a good subject for display gardens as well as borders.

Be aware that coneflowers have a phenomenon known as allelopathy. Just like black walnut trees and sunflowers, coneflowers release chemicals into the soil to discourage the growth of competing plants.

Mellow Yellows are small enough to grow in containers, so you can enjoy this cheery flower even if you have limited space. They do well on the deck, patio or balcony. Coneflowers will begin blooming in midsummer and continue to flower well into autumn. Coneflowers also make beautiful, long-lasting cut flowers. Let the last of the blooms dry out on the plant to provide food for songbirds.

Seeds are available from many sellers including Park Seeds (www.parkseeds.com, phone 800-845-3369). To get your plants to bloom the first year, sow the seeds indoors, setting them directly on the soil surface, as soon as possible. The seeds will germinate when it is around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant the coneflowers to the garden after the seedlings have two sets of true leaves.

Coneflowers are odorless when they first bloom, and then send out a honey-like scent after the ray florets orient themselves downward. This sweet honey scent attracts pollinators, and after pollination, coneflowers have a delicious vanilla aroma.

So start thumbing through seed catalogs and order some sunny Mellow Yellows coneflowers to brighten next year's garden. It may be a sudden craze. Quite rightly. 

  • Paul Barbano writes about gardening from his home in Rehoboth Beach. Contact him by writing to P. O. Box 213, Lewes, DE 19958.

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter