coneflower Interesting Notes

All-America Selections Winner, 2010

"PowWow puts more flowers on every plant than any other seed echinacea, whether grown for first-year Spring sales or as a traditional overwintered perennial. Very well-matched for habit and timing, the colour-packed duo is also faster to flower and genetically shorter than the competition, making it easy to grow and ship on racks. No PGRs are needed to maintain controlled height in quart or gallon programs. Very drought-tolerant, easy-care plants stay tidy at retail with long holdability, and look great in the garden. Echinacea is a “top five” perennial – gardeners and landscapers will especially flock to award-winning Wild Berry for its terrific, non-fading colour show!" - Darwin Perennials

Ranging from Texas to New York, Echinacea purpurea can be found in moist prairies, meadows and open woods. As popular as they are in the landscape, coneflower is uncommon in the wild. They prefer full sun in fertile well-drained soil but one of the best features of Echinacea is the way it is able to tolerate drought, clay, high heat and humidity, part sun, and poor soils.

The flowers of coneflower provide multiple seasons of interest from summer while it blooms to fall and winter where the great seedheads are upright and structural. Butterflies and bees love the nectar of the flowers and goldfinches can’t help but flock to the seeds during the fall. While trialing ‘Green Twister’, we found the plant began flowering reliably by the first season of growth and was disease and pest resistant. Full growth at 3 years would provide a lovely, long lasting show and colorful flowers great for cutting.

Echinacea purpurea Growing and Maintenance Tips

Echinacea take a wide array of conditions from average dry soil to medium, well-drained soil in part shade to full sun. Plant flowers best in full sun. Low-maintenance and tolerates drought, humidity, heat, poor soil. Resistant to pest and disease but sometimes suspectible to aster yellows disease. To encourage longer bloom time, flower heads can be deadheaded but not necessary. Seedheads are a delightful source of food for birds. To propogate, divide clump in the spring every 4 years. Root cuttings are also successful. Propogation by seed does not usually come true to type. 

Good Substitutions

Echinacea purpurea 'Mellow Yellows'

Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan'

Echinacea paradoxa

Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Star'