Sweet Coneflower, also known as ‘Henry Eilers', is a sweet coneflower cultivar that typically grows to 3-5’ tall on stiff, upright, leafy stems. It was found growing in the wild in a railroad prairie remnant in Montgomery County, Illinois. In general appearance, the flowers are very similar to those of R. subtomentosa, except the yellow rays are rolled instead of flat, giving the flower a quilled effect. Dome-shaped brown center disks. Flowers bloom in clusters atop strong, sometimes-branching stems from July to September. Dark gray-green leaves (3-6” long) in basal clumps (some 3-lobed) with smaller unlobed stem leaves. Leaves have a mild sweet aroma. The cultivar was discovered by Henry Eilers, a well-known nurseryman in southern Illinois, and was introduced by Larry Lowman of Ridgecrest Nursery and Gardens in Wynne, Arkansas in 2003.
