Echinacea Purple Coneflower

Echinacea Purple Coneflower — variety description

Echinacea Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial flower of the Daisy family (Asteraceae). For most people, echinacea is a herbal remedy for colds and flu and a vital boost for the immune system. For gardeners, however, echinacea is one of the most versatile perennials for the garden.

With beautiful, long-lasting flowers, it is tough and self-sufficient, hardy, easy to grow and undemanding.

Growing to a height of about 100 cm, its slender elegance and sturdy stems give the plants good resistance to wind and weather.

The flowers have a distinctive, sweet fragrance that draws bees and butterflies to their daisy-like blooms in summer.

Echinacea Purple Coneflower usually requires no maintenance. They grow in deep, well-drained, humus-rich soil, ideally in sun, although they can tolerate some shade.

They are tolerant of drought, heat, humidity and poor soil. Avoid overwatering, as echinacea prefers drier conditions once established. No additional feeding is necessary.

Echinacea Purple Coneflower is a perennial medicinal and ornamental plant with pink-purple flower heads, loved by butterflies and bees.

Key features

• Pack size: 0.4 g
• Sowing: April and May; seedlings
• Flowering: July – September
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Echinacea Purple Coneflower

Echinacea Purple Coneflower seeds are sown in April and May. The plants flower from July to September. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Echinacea Purple Coneflower

• Sowing method: seedlings
• Depth: 0.2–0.5 cm
• Spacing: 30–40 cm
• Germination: 14–28 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

They have a good germination rate and sprout easily even when sown directly outdoors from April to June. You can also raise seedlings in a tray. Sow the seeds on the surface and press them lightly into the soil. The seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover the seeds, or use only a light sprinkling. The compost should be kept moist but not wet at all times. Germination may begin after only 5 days, but can take up to 20 days. Lift out each seedling when it is big enough to handle and transplant into 7.5 cm pots. Plant out in spring in well-drained soil. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out. In their natural habitat, the seeds would germinate after a period of cold, so if there is little or no germination, move the seedlings to a cold place: at around 4°C for 2 to 4 weeks. Flowers from June until the first chills in October.

Cold stratification for 3–4 weeks improves germination. Plant in sun; tolerates drought.

Flowering and uses

The roots and flowers are used for tea and tinctures.

Frequently asked questions

When should Echinacea Purple Coneflower be sown?

The recommended sowing months are April and May. Sowing method: seedlings.

Does echinacea flower in the first year?

With early sowing (February) it sometimes flowers in the first summer; full flowering from the second year.