Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Echinacea Sombrero Salsa Red 'Balsomsed'
Salsa Red Coneflower
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Height
- 2 to 3 feet
- Width
- 2 to 3 feet
- Flower color
- Bright red petals with an orange-brown cone
- Foliage color
- Green
- Bloom time
- Summer to early fall
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
- Growing zone
- USDA Zones 3-8
- Wildlife
- Butterflies, bees, and seed-eating birds
About this plant
Echinacea Sombrero Salsa Red 'Balsomsed' produces vivid, deep red blooms from early summer through late summer, adding bold color to garden beds and borders. Each flower features a prominent, spiky cone in the center, surrounded by horizontally held petals that retain their rich hue as they mature. These vibrant blossoms attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, making the plant a valuable addition to wildlife-friendly landscapes.
Developed as part of the Sombrero series, 'Salsa Red' is bred for exceptional hardiness and a more compact, tidy growth habit. Its origins lie in cultivating robust and colorful varieties of the native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). This selection is ideal for gardens needing consistent, vivid color and is also well-suited for cutting gardens, where its long-lasting blooms add dramatic flair to arrangements.
Works well in
Borders · Sun Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Bird Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Catmint · Coreopsis · Bearded irises · Bee balm · Yarrow · Ornamental grasses
Design tip
Fall bloom is its strength, and it earns a place near a path or seating area used late in the year. Give it open sun and room to fill out, and repeat it in threes or fives so the planting reads as one sweep instead of scattered dots.
