Playful Meadow Mama Coneflower

Playful Meadow Mama is a distinctive coneflower in the Meadow Mama series, with raspberry-pink petals tipped in white around a red cone. The single flowers rise on upright stems above green foliage and make a bright focal point in a sunny perennial bed. Breeder and trial references confirm the named selection and its unusual two-tone flowers ([AB Cultivars](https://www.ab-cultivars.com/assortment/echinacea/echinacea-meadow-mama-series/); [Ohio State University Secrest Arboretum trial](https://secrest.osu.edu/sites/secrest/files/imce/2023%20Echinacea%20Report_Final.pdf)). ## Garden Use Use it at the front or middle of a mixed border, in a small group, or in a large container with room for its clump to broaden. The flowers are also suited to cutting and containers, and the plant works well in a repeated border group. The Chicago Botanic Garden lists it for borders and reports bird and butterfly visits; the breeder includes it in the Meadow Mama selection series ([Gardenia](https://www.gardenia.net/plant/echinacea-playful-meadow-mama); [Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/echinacea-playful-meadow-mama-playful-meadow-mama-coneflower); [AB Cultivars](https://www.ab-cultivars.com/assortment/echinacea/echinacea-meadow-mama-series/)). ## Growing Conditions Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Published mature dimensions vary: the Secrest Arboretum trial measured a maximum of about 18–23 inches high and wide, while a Chicago Botanic Garden trial recorded taller plants near 29 inches with a similar spread. The current label therefore reflects the documented variation rather than a single fixed size. The 2023 Jung catalog lists Zones 4–9; regional performance may differ ([Ohio State University Secrest Arboretum trial](https://secrest.osu.edu/sites/secrest/files/imce/2023%20Echinacea%20Report_Final.pdf); [Chicago Botanic Garden trial report](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/RE24604%20PENotes%2051%20Echinacea%20final.pdf); [Jung catalog](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.jungseed.com/downloads/JungCatalog24_Website.pdf)). ## Maintenance Water regularly during establishment and avoid leaving the crown in waterlogged soil. Remove fading flowers to keep the planting tidy or leave seed heads through winter for added texture. Inspect foliage and flower cones during the season and remove affected parts if aster yellows or eriophyid-mite symptoms appear.