Hi tepelus, the coneflower Hot Papaya is a great grower here in N. GA. I bought all my coneflowers from McGlauflin's (Web add: http://mcgperennials.com/). You can buy plug size plants from them for a good price (IF you buy at least a few plants from them due to the shipping cost). The plants were in great conditions when they arrived through the mail. They have all lived and bloomed. The plug-size coneflowers grow quickly. Also, there is a forum for coneflower that you can get great information on various cultivars (Web add: http://cubits.org/echinaceas/). There is also a seller (sweet65splitty) at Ebay who sells recently introduced plug-size coneflowers (and other plants), I have not dealt with her, but please let me know if you have make purchases from her before. THANKS.

These look to me more like aphids - I hope somebody else can confirm. They are too big to be spider mites. The fact that you saw dead ones near the plant is also a give-away - spider mites generally are not found like that. Do you see tiny webbing near the youngest growth on the plant? If you do not, they are likely NOT spider mites (if you do, then it's almost certainly them though). The infestation seems to be pretty severe (is that stem completely covered with them?) - BUT if they are aphids, the good news is that they are pretty easy to control. As you already found out, they get dislodged by a simple spray of water. Once they are off the plant, most aphid species can't get back onto it. Because of those highly crinkled leaves, it's very difficult to hit all the nooks and crannies with a water hose though. Best to take it outside and hit it with a spray from all sorts of directions very thoroughly. Some soil may be washed out, but it's way better than leaving any suckers behind. You can easily top up the soil. People have also successfully controlled bugs on H. compacta by completely submerging the whole plant, pot and all vines, into a bath or other container of soapy water (a couple teaspoons of gentle soap, not detergent, per gallon of water) for a few minutes to an hour or so. Your plant is large, so I am not sure if this is realistic. You need to swish the plant under that water so that it gets to all the hiding places, just like a spray should. The soap removes the protective coating on the aphids and causes them to die of dehydration. Soap solution can also be sprayed on the plant, but I think it'll be ineffective here because a spray bottle just does not create a stream forceful enough to reach behind all those leaf angles. No matter what treatment you choose, it's a good idea to repeat it, even after they all seem completely gone, weekly or so, a couple times, just to hit the ones that may have survived, before they breed. Good luck! (You don't need much here, but still...) A 40-year old wedding gift hoya is something VERY special, and I hope very much you can control these buggers.

Thank you! It reminded me of Montana. Just showed my DH. We must come visit your lovely state one day. Diana

Of course I have to trod after you, Lilo. Between the two of us, the film industry would go bankrupt. The one quote I have to agree with, is he one about SF writing and the rest of the literacy and entertainment world has not really acknowledged it's validity.