Chances are, since this is probably their tenth turn over in their greenhouses
or fields is that they used a growth inhibitor so plants will remain small, but
force fed them so they'd come into color for market. I don't know what
chemicals they are using now, but when I was a grower we used Bonsai or Bnine or
a few others to keep, say, mums short, but in full color.

As always, it's always better to buy plants in bud, not in flower, but this is
what your plants sound like. Forced, but held back by chemical control. Ask
the grower next time.

I have 'Magnus' and it is at least 4 feet tall, 'White Swan' is not as tall, but
still at least 3 feet.

V



On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 12:52:41 -0400, "madgardener" opined:

At werk (Lowes) we got in these "Magnus" coneflowers. And "White Swan". First to fill youse in.....these plants have CRINKLED, scratchy leaves. HUGE things. not pointy like normally found on these plants. But four to five inches wide and puckered like some mature Hosta's do. Both the White Swan and the Magnus (if this is what they are) have their flowers about four inches no more than six inches set and the flowers are gigantic. The heads of both of them range in size from 2 1/2 inches across to 4 1/2 inches across!!

The plants on some have branched and the flowerheads are just as huge, and the stems are very hairy and scratchy and stiff and hold the flowers quite well at these angles. these plants came from Stacey's greenhouses in South Carolina (yeah, we don't normally get Stacey's flowers now, Home Depraived does now, but our perennial provider ran outa plants and this is who we got a shipment from). Are these Magnus normal or have they mixed up a shipment of another variety like Ruby Star and Kim's Knee high? These aren't even knee high. They're more like 18 inches at the MOST. Most of the pots of plants are good to even hit a foot tall.........and when planted in the garden, reckon these will lengthen upwards? I hadda ask!
madgardener still in the dark about Squire's offering position (it's down to two people, him and another driver.........