Marie - This year I find weather has made it difficult to anticipate when plants are likely to show themselves. If it helps, the echinaceas in my sunniest, driest spots are only just starting to show themselves a little bit.

Barb

Marie. . .And my acanthus has just NOW poked it's head out of the soil - in Zone 6b - and with everything else so far ahead this season, I thought for sure I'd lost
it. Take heart! All may not be lost. . .

Carl

My acanthus is starting now too but the first year I felt the same as you. It seemed very late then.

Hedy

My established Echinaceas are all up and have quite a bit of new growth on them but the ones I grew from seed last year are still really small. Some things are up more than others and got hit by the hard freeze over the weekend so I'm just as glad the rest are taking their sweet time.

Thanks, everyone. It is helpful to hear from people who have the same and different zones/growing conditions. I am putting aside my anxiety. I wouldn't mind hearing from others.
marie

I don't know about Acanthus, but I think the Echinacea should be up. Wouldn't surprise me if one of the fancier cultivars is a no-show. Only one out of six of last year's Bluestone Echinacea plants (Prairie Splendor) has appeared this spring, and it is weak. Some were replacements of plants that died last year!

The seedlings I started last year and the established plants (that were spared by the voles) are growing much more vigorously.

My echinaceas are up. But still quite small. I'm wondering where my 2 Plum Crazy Hibiscus are.

I think a garden helper planted allium bulbs on top of the acanthus. Some echs are up, weenie little runts. We'll see....
idabean

I think Hibiscus is very late to show. The Hibiscus moscheutos that I started from seed last year isn't up yet. The Hibiscus syriacus seedling that Thyme2dig gave me at the swap last year is barely showing little shoots at the base.

My HIbiscus is not showing growth yet, but I know it's always late. The Echinacea has been up for awhile.