Giant Coneflower

Partial shade or dappled sun. Basically evergreen, with large leaves that make nice mounds of blue foliage. Tall yellow ray flowers dangle from brown centers during warm weather. Everything about giant coneflower is big: the leaves (up to 2 feet long) the stems (up to 7 feet high) and the flowers (2″-3″ wide). As cut flowers they may last a week or more.

For those who appreciate the mental air conditioning provided by cool-colored plants, Giant Coneflower is a great go-to perennial for carefree masses in the butterfly garden. It’s native to moist open areas east of San Antonio, but despite its origin in swamps, it’s drought tolerant. Find it at specialty native plant vendors.