Echinacea 'Fatal Attraction' is the latest release from Piet Oudolf's ongoing Echinacea breeding program.

This is one of a number of projects he has underway to develop the kind of plants he wants for his garden designs.

In addition to creating new colours and strong plants, Piet feels that the 'drooping' petal habit of Echinacea can give it a bit of a sad look, and one of his aims is to produce flowers with non-drooping petals. 

'Fatal Attraction' produces intensely coloured flowers on thin near-black stems which are deceptively strong, and make a stark contrast against the bright green foliage.

The flowers are so perky that they have a real daisy-like appearance.

The plants certainly have a 'je ne sais quoi' about them, which is bound to captivate Echinacea fans everywhere.