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.
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My coneflowers are big &
My coneflowers are big & bushy in mid June on TX but have not a bud or flower or even a hint. Is it yet to come or some problem. This is their first spring.
Cone flowers usually bloom
Cone flowers usually bloom from mid-June until the first fall frost. If your plants are established and look healthy you should see buds soon. If this is the first year for the cone flowers in your garden they may not flower. They spend the first summer putting down a strong root system and next year you should see plenty of flowers!
Had the same thing happen
Had the same thing happen last year but this year also very bushy have 3 flowers so far. Shocked they are white! Ordered purple, sigh, have grown attached after the wait. Am in LA..
Something's eating my
Something's eating my coneflowers??? My purple coneflowers were doing very well until 2 weeks ago. Something ate them down to about 1/4 their normal size. Plants are on north and west side of house and are about 4 years old. Don't see any bugs on what's left. Are any animals prone to eating coneflowers?
my cone flowers are being
my cone flowers are being eaten, too! Supposedly they are deer resistant, we are thinking maybe groundhogs?
When I came home from work
When I came home from work today, I discovered my coneflowers and the buds were completely gone. The plants are now half the size they were yesterday. I live in the city and the only animals that we've seen around are squirrels and rabbits. Are the rabbits eating the heads off the coneflowers? If so, what can be done to eliminate this problem?
Coneflowers are indeed
Coneflowers are indeed deer-resistent. We'd guess rabbits, birds, or bugs, depending on the symptoms.
Rabbits like to eat
Rabbits like to eat coneflower foliage. Hot pepper wax sprays make leaves less appealing to the rabbits. Birds also love to pluck the leaves. Aphids and Japanese beetles are common culprits. Another common insect pest is the eriophyid mite. They are microscopic in size --which is why you don't see them -- and live inside the flower buds where they suck nutrients from the flowers. Damage results in tufts of stunted and distorted flower parts sprouting from the coneflower. Plants that are affected by eriophyid mites should be cut back to the ground in the fall and all plant debris should be removed and destroyed.
slugs like to eat echincea
slugs like to eat echincea too. And you dont see them unless u go out with a flashlight. We had a war here and careful removal and maintenance won!
my cone flowers lack color
this past year all of my coneflowers in three different flower gardens have lost color and vigor. they grew spindly and with fewer stalks. What happened? How can I fix?
Add some compost to the soil
Add some compost to the soil around the plants and put down some mulch to keep the soil moist and weed free. Divide the plants every 3 to 4 years.
Help my coneflowers
My coneflowers look deformed. The flowers bloom with only half the petals or with petals rimmed in black. I don't know what to do because we seem to be doing everything we should. The only thing that might not be right is that I doubt that they get 6 hours of direct sun a day.
If you have deformed
If you have deformed coneflower flowers with scarce petals, this sounds as if you have a flower disease called Aster yellows. Unfortunately, the flowers have to be pulled. See more: http://hort.uwex.edu/articles/...
it is a disease that there is
it is a disease that there is no known cure for. just cut of the heads, make sure you throw them in the garbage not the compost. and hope for the best next time they come up. We have had this happen on most of ours, as we have over 55 different ones.
transplanting to new bed
I moved about 3 of my prized coneflower plants 3 weeks ago to a new flowerbed, boy has it been a babysitting job1 I think one is going to succumb to over exposure to the sun, but the others are doing well, after I cut them back severly. I will never do this again!
"Stratify" means to expose
"Stratify" means to expose seeds to low temperatures in order to get the seeds to germinate. Hope that helps!
Planting
If planting from seed, must stratify the seeds first by planting in a germinating mix and putting in the refrigerator for 30-60 days. Once plants are established, birds will plant for you after they digest the seed. Apparently going through the bird's digestive tract stratifies the seeds.
coneflowers
i am getting some seeds from the seed exchange and need to plant them what does stratisty mean? Can u help me? Thanks, Jackie
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