Cara Mia™ Spicy Coneflower

CARA MIA™ Spicy is a taller coneflower selection with pomegranate-red flowers held on well-placed stems, adding a clear vertical accent to sunny perennial plantings. The stems are suitable for cutting, and its July-to-October flowering window extends late-season color. [Terra Nova Nurseries](https://www.terranovanurseries.com/product/echinacea-cara-mia-spicy/) [J.C. Raulston Arboretum trial](https://jcra.ncsu.edu/publications/trial-reports/perennials-trials/2024-2025/Perennial%20Trials%20Report%202024-2025.pdf) ## Size and Seasonal Display Terra Nova lists a mature height of 20 inches, a 24-inch width, and flower stems reaching about 30 inches. The breeder reports flowers from July through October and rates the plant for USDA zones 4–9. Use it toward the middle or back of a border, or repeat it in a mass planting where the upright stems can rise above shorter plants. The arboretum's trial also recorded double reddish-pink blooms and cut-flower use. ## Growing Conditions Choose full sun and average, well-drained garden soil; Terra Nova notes that coarse, slightly mineral soils are preferred. Keep moisture moderate while the plant establishes and avoid soil that remains waterlogged. The RHS lists chalk, loam, or sand and also emphasizes well-drained conditions. [RHS plant profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/526366/echinacea-spicy-cara-mia-series/details) ## Maintenance Cut stems for bouquets as flowers open. Keep the crown at soil level and provide drainage around the root zone, especially through wet periods. In fall, remove spent stems for a tidy border or leave some standing for winter structure.