Coneflower (Echinacea)

Just outside the greenhouse, you will find an entire table covered with the bold colors of Coneflower (Echinacea). Hybridizers have been working overtime coming up with spectacular colors and catchy names like “Mamma Mia” and “Tomato Soup”. And if you prefer the traditional and tried-and-true varieties, there are the old-fashioned vibrant pink ‘Magnus’ and the elegant ‘White Swan’.

This easy-to-grow perennial is a must-have for the garden. Not only they provide beautiful flowers, but they also attract a variety of pollinators and even have medicinal qualities. Birds, especially finches, really love them although they do prefer the natives and not the hybrid varieties.

Growing Echinacea

Coneflowers grow naturally in prairies and along roadsides. They grow in full sun or partial shade. They do not need rich soil or fertilizers to succeed. Therefore, provide an average loam and water well until plants are established. After that, a weekly watering should suffice as they are drought tolerant. As always, however, special attention to watering and deadheading spent flowers will give best results.

They do not like wet feet so if your soil is dense and heavy, incorporate some good compost or some of our 3-Way Mix to improve your soil quality.

Coneflowers provide beautiful color to summer borders. For best results, group multiple plants together. Coneflowers can also be grown in containers.