Echinacea Plants, a Grand Garden Flower and Butterfly Magnet

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Echinacea Plants: “Unleashing the Healing Power of Echinacea: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Using the ‘Hedgehog’ Flower”

Cultivation and History

Echinacea plants, commonly known as coneflowers, are a group of herbaceous flowering plants that belong to the daisy family.

Echinacea is a native North American genus with about 10 species.   They are plants of the prairie and open woods that have been used for centuries by Native American tribes for their medicinal properties.


Echinacea purpurea is by far the most popular.    A popular name for them is Purple Coneflower but actually, they come in many colors now.

Today, echinacea is widely cultivated for its ornamental value, as well as for its health benefits.

I thought it fun where the name comes from…The name Echinacea comes from the Greek word “echinos” which means hedgehog or sea urchin, referring to the spiny center cone of the flower.

Purple Coneflower or Echinacea, Butterflies love this one

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Propagation

Echinacea plants can be propagated through seeds or division. Seeds can be sown in the spring or fall, and should be lightly covered with soil.

All the best tips

Grow Echinacea Plants from Seed!

Growing Echinacea Plants from seed is not only easy it is a great way to get many colors and varieties on a budget. You can start indoors, winter sow, or direct sow the seeds!

Division should be done in the spring or fall, and involves separating the plant into smaller sections and replanting them.

How to Grow

Echinacea plants prefer well-draining soil and full sun, but can tolerate some shade.

They should be planted in the spring or fall, and spaced about 18 to 24 inches apart. Water regularly during the first growing season, but once established, echinacea can tolerate drought.

Growing Tips

To encourage bushier growth, pinch back the stems of young plants. Deadheading spent blooms will also encourage more flowering.

Echinacea plants don’t like wet feet, so make sure to avoid overwatering and plant them in well-draining soil.

Maintenance

Echinacea plants require little maintenance once established. However, they should be divided every few years to prevent overcrowding and maintain plant vigor.

Cultivars to Select

There are many cultivars of echinacea to choose from, including the popular ‘Magnus’ with its large, deep pink blooms, and the orange-flowered ‘Tangerine Dream’. ‘White Swan’ is a classic white-flowered variety, while ‘Green Jewel’ has unusual green flowers.

Find seeds for White Swan here!

Cheyenne Spirit Mix Seeds

Paradise Mix

Managing Pests and Diseases

Echinacea plants can be susceptible to powdery mildew, particularly in humid conditions. To prevent this, make sure to plant them in a location with good air circulation.

Spider mites and aphids can also be a problem but can be controlled with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

I prefer not to use them as they can harm beneficial insects as well, so I typically treat spider mites by spraying them off the plant daily.

Best Uses

Echinacea plants are great for adding color to a garden, and their long blooming period makes them a popular choice for cut flower arrangements.

They also have many health benefits, including boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

  • Plant in well-draining soil
  • Full sun to partial shade
  • Water regularly during first growing season
  • Pinch back young plants to encourage bushier growth
  • Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowering
  • Divide every few years to prevent overcrowding
  • Choose from a variety of cultivars
  • Prevent powdery mildew by ensuring good air circulation
  • Control spider mites and aphids with insecticidal soap or neem oil (or better yet, with a spray of water from the hose daily)
  • Use as a garden ornamental or for their health benefits

Some Varieties I Grow

Here are some that I personally have in  my garden, Katie Saul (one of the Big Sky Series, also known as Summer Sky)
The delicate shades of pink have a tinge of yellow filtering toward the petal tip.
This one is a hybrid and does not come up from seed.

katie saul echinacea

Another hybrid is Tomato Soup. I dug it up and moved it.  I accidentally left behind a piece of root and now I have two plants.

Both seem to be doing well this year but for a couple of years, it looked rather sorry.  So don’t give up on them if they sometimes struggle.

tomato soup echinacea

Here is what it looked like back the first year…

tomato soup800

Much nicer, don’t you think?  Like I said, I will give it a bit of pampering and see what happens.

All my others are healthy and happy.
I love my White Swan…it is just beginning to come into bloom.

white swan echinacea

A shorter but bright and beautiful is this Pow Wow Wild Berry, it stays about 18 inches rather than getting up to 4 feet as the others can.

pow wow echinacea

Of course, I have the typical Purple Coneflower too but it is anything but ordinary…it reseeds readily and makes a great grouping.

purple coneflower

Butterflies love it and visit often then come to Fall and Winter the birds land to peck at the seed heads for a hearty meal.

Though the Coneflower is drought tolerant it performs best with decent watering. They can tolerate some shade but do best with at least 5 hours of sunlight a day.

These here are in a rocky area and do fine but they have a soaker hose at their feet so they get plenty of water without being boggy.

Don’t over-fertilize, they will get leggy and topple over.  Personally, I don’t really add anything but a bit of compost to mine.

I do plan on adding more colors, there is a collection out now I wish to try called Cheyenne Spirit with shades of orange, red, and yellow. (this selection is now growing in my garden and I will share photos soon)

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I wish you a grand day of gardening!

Hi, I’m Pamela

I am a 40-year gardening veteran that loves to share the simple tips, tricks, and inspiration I have learned from personal experience.
I want to make your gardening experience more enjoyable!
There is a lot of gardening misinformation out there and I prefer factual over what is trending or passed off on the internet as garden truth to help you make the wisest choices for your gardening experience.
Pamela Groppe
Author and Garden Friend!

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6 Comments

  1. Pingback: July Was Fabulous
  2. It is always my pleasure Sherry. Thank you again for such a lovely party.

  3. Your flowers are beautiful. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home.
    Sherry

  4. So glad I could provide a bit of incentive. 🙂 Thankfully they don’t mind being moved, or at least mine have not. You can share how you go about it. I am frequently surprised how much I learn from others and how they do things.

  5. Beautiful. I have blackeyed susans and coneflower at our guest house but not at the cabin. You have inspired me to do a little digging and get some moved. Pinning:)

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