I very much like the many different flower forms that echinaceas offer. For that reason, I have tried to develop some zinnias that resemble echinaceas. They may not be as pretty as the real thing, but they do have the advantage of blooming in 5 to 7 weeks from seed.
That last one reminds me a bit of a waterlily. Like echinaceas, zinnias are also a versatile plant. And breeding them goes much more rapidly than breeding echinaceas. I also grow some zinnias indoors, which lets me get four generations of zinnias per year. Much faster turnaround than echinaceas. But zinnias are not perennials. However annuals do not require you to devote a spot to them.
