Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, are tough little native flowers that draw butterflies, bees, and birds to the garden! Here’s how to grow this American native—and important tips on plant care, from deadheading to cutting back in June.
Bright upright plants, coneflowers are a North American perennial in the Daisy family (Asteraceae). Specifically, the plant is native to the eastern United States, from Iowa and Ohio south to Louisiana and Georgia. They grow 2 to 4 feet in height with dark green foliage. They are fast growers and self-sow their seed profusely. These midsummer bloomers can flower from midsummer through fall frost!
Their genus name Echinacea comes from the Latin name for hedgehog, echinus, referring to the often prickly lower stem of the plant. Coneflowers have raised cone-like centers (hence, the name) which contain seeds that attract butterflies. Leave the seed heads after bloom and you’ll also attract songbirds!
Trouble-free, coneflowers are drought-tolerant, once established. They can take the heat! As native plants with prickly stems, they are more deer-resistant than most flowering plants.
The most common species available to gardeners is Echinacea purpurea, the purple coneflower. If purple doesn’t pair well with your garden’s color palette, don’t fret: coneflowers can be found in a range of bright or subdued colors.
Coneflowers are at home in a traditional garden or a wildflower meadow; they are striking in masses, especially as a mix of various colors.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Hi, Hoosier1: 1. Read and
Hi, Hoosier1: 1. Read and follow the care tips above. 2. Watch for pests. 3. Make sure they don't get too hot. They can definitely take full sun, but feel free to move them temporarily into partial shade or to where there's a breeze on a scorcher. 4. Take this off your list, chill, and have a great wedding. Congratulations to your daughter from The OFA -- and you can quote us!
My mother planted the roots
My mother planted the roots of coneflowers this past spring. There is no sign of any growth. Will growth happen next year?
That's one prediction that we
That's one prediction that we can not make with certainty, Gina.
We can tell you that the best results of dividing, or planting the roots of, coneflowers (aka echinacea) are achieved by taking a "good-size" clump of a thriving plant—not small pieces in hopes of setting more plants. Ideally, the soil should be broken up a bit (not compact) so the roots have room to roam. And the soil should be kept moist but not wet.
If division is done when the plant is dormant, too much water could cause root rot. March to September are the most propitious times for dividing this plant.
I live in the city, and the
I live in the city, and the wildlife we get are raccoons, possums, squirrels and a variety of birds. Something is coming into my garden and eating the tops off my purple coneflowers. By the tops, I mean the flowers themselves. Do any of the animals I've mentioned eat the tops off coneflowers? And if so, what can I do to stop them, short of putting out poison or anything else that is lethal and dangerous?
If you have woodchucks
If you have woodchucks (groundhogs) or rabbits around, they particularly like coneflower. If it is just the petals missing, it may be earwigs.
Does soil acidity affect cone
Does soil acidity affect cone flower color, as with hydrangeas?
No, the same is not true of
No, the same is not true of coneflower.
*Columbine
*Columbine
I am adding 3 New colors of
I am adding 3 New colors of coneflowers to my yard, do I need to plant them away from each other? Will they mix colors ? This seemed to happen with my colombine. Thanks.
I was praying for bugs in
I was praying for bugs in weeds with bug and weed killer on my cauliflower and now they are all hungover and sad what should I do? should I cut them off?
It's the power of sprayer!
It's the power of sprayer!
Oh, I'm relieved! I thought
Oh, I'm relieved! I thought she was praying for bugs and weeds.
What was in your sprayer
What was in your sprayer previous to the bug spray? Sounds like you had weed killer in it. After spraying, wash your sprayer with cold water, then hot soapy water, then rinse again with cold. Otherwise have separate sprayer for bug spray.
I planted coneflowers for the
I planted coneflowers for the first time this year and something is eating the petals of the flowers. I have looked and don't see anything. Any suggestions?
If you have finches in your
If you have finches in your area it could be them. For whatever reason, finches love to eat my coneflower leaves.
My 4 year old coneflowers
My 4 year old coneflowers here in Maine have started budding and I would like to pinch them back to prevent flopping over. Does this mean I will have to nip a few buds off or do I look for stalks without buds and only pinch those? Now mid-June.
Hi Marcia, It's recommended
Hi Marcia,
It's recommended to pinch coneflowers back before they start budding. You can cut some of the stalks without buds back and then after the blossoms fade cut those stem shorter than you usually do when deadheading.
Hello, Can you explain what
Hello,
Can you explain what "pinching back" is and it's purpose.
I've enjoyed reading the questions and comments here. Thank you.
Thank you, Leigh! "Pinching
Thank you, Leigh! "Pinching back" means that you are removing the tip of the shoot -- the bud and the first set of leaves -- with your fingers. This helps the plant product more flowers! It also keeps plants more compact so they don't get too tall and spindly.
My well-established purple
My well-established purple coneflower has been looking good this spring. However, this week I noticed the top 3" or so of two stems, with buds, drooping over. On one stem I noticed a black spot which could indicate a boring pest. Am curious to know what, if anything I can do about it. The rest of the plant looks healthy. I'm anxious for some blooms!
My coneflowers usually grow
My coneflowers usually grow like gangbusters. Lately they have black spots on the leaves?? What is it and how do I treat it??
Thanks.
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen, It sounds like
Hi Kathleen,
It sounds like you have Alternaria leaf spot or Bacterial leaf spot. Keep moisture off the leaves and stems when you water. Try using an organic copper spray.
Planted cone flowers for the
Planted cone flowers for the first time and rabbits ate them, will the growth return this year?
A couple of years ago my
A couple of years ago my coneflower plant disappeared entirely, like something underground grabbed it and pulled it under. The ground was virtually undisturbed and there was no sign that I even had the plant in the ground. Would rabbits demolish a plant that thoroughly? Could it really have been pulled underground?
Our only thought is that some
Our only thought is that some of the hybrid coneflowers have not survived winters well and get root rot. Stick to the pure coneflowers. Also, try leaving the stalks through the winter. And make sure they are in a place that gets FULL Sun.
I don't know about
I don't know about coneflowers but gophers did the same thing to my garlic plants. They disappeared one by one till they were all gone
The same thing happened to
The same thing happened to all my Echinacea. It' the voles (not moles but voles). They love the roots and will eat anything from below. I learned the hard way for about 5 years. Every year I bought and replanted new coneflowers and they were eaten by the voles. I have since then researched everything and tried all possible ways to get rid of the little critters. To no avail. I dug up what was left and planted all my coneflowers in wire baskets with less than 1/4" holes into the ground and that has solved the problem although any roots that grow through the holes still get eaten.
Hope this helps!
This is my first time having
This is my first time having cone flowers (Echinacea) I was wondering if we put it in a pot how wide and tall dose the pot need to be. I know after a couple of days u need to move it to the ground.
Hi, I live on east coast. We
Hi, I live on east coast. We moved into our new house last summer and the already there coneflowers were beautiful and blooming. Then in winter they withered and became dried bushes. Now it's early spring again but we never cut the bushes or did anything to it. please let me know if there is something i need to do or are they going to come alive and bloom on their own?? Thanks for you help in advance!
Just remove dead foliage and
Just remove dead foliage and stems in the fall, winter or early spring. We tend to wait until after the winter as the seed heads are great for the winter birds. You can cut coneflowers down to 3 inches from the base. They are perennials and will return.
Pages