Echinacea: Growing Coneflower Succesfully

Coneflower or Echinacea are one of the best perennial flowers in the garden. http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/coneflower.html The entire family of cone flower or Echinacea loves the open sunny garden. It thrives in drier gardens than most other plants so it is a good plant for that hot, dry spot.

Do water it to establish new plantings but once established, it can thrive on its own. The really nice thing about this plant is that it will also tolerate some light shade and good soil.

The only thing that will shorten an echinacea lifespan are heavy clay soils or constantly damp soils; it does not like to have its roots constantly wet. It likes good drainage.

I have found the plant does really well in moderately fertile soils and if there is enough water in mid summer when it is setting seed, there is no problem with obtaining more plants.

Other perennial flower tips along with Echinacea can be found at http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com

Category:

Howto & Style

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• coneflower
• echinacea
• perennial
• flowers
• garden
• benefits
• growing
• health
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• organic
• plants
• how-to

[headgardener2u]

@LotaOldstuff - hybrids don't come true from seed so these have to be purchased at a garden centre. They are mostly tissue-culture propagated and then grown by a nursery. Seed generated plants are stable (hopefully) open pollinated forms and can be purchased / started from seed. Home gardeners can either start from seed or dig/divide existing plants to get more. There's a video up on my lists about digging and dividing that applies to this plant as well.

[ericbelify]

my one plant is withering in its pot here in Texas. I've re-potted it in potting soil and compost in a large pot. It's still not doing well, any advice?

[headgardener2u]

@ericbelify get it out of a small pot - into a garden. Soil temp is too high or not enough water - or conversely you've overwatered it and you have root rot.

[headgardener2u]

@headgardener2u second point - doing transplanting during the gardening season when the plant is growing isn't the best idea - a lot of shock on the plant. Make sure you put it into the shade for a week or so after transplanting so it doesn't get even more stressed

[headgardener2u]

@Sarash00 - glad it helped. 

[Sparroweye]

I love these but mine do not naturalize here in Central Florida as I would wish. I have had great luck with a cottage garden this year. I have hollyhocks, foxglove, canterbury bells, dames rocket, stocks and cupids dart. Why do they call Dames Rocket a bad choice. I love it, and mine have never become invasive.

[headgardener2u]

@Sparroweye different plants are invasive in different areas - your Dames Rocket may not be invasive in FL but they surely are in Ontario. :-) And it may be too hot for Echinacea in your region. One size doesn't fit all in the garden. :-)

[cyprussunizhot]

i love them did you know that the name is greek from ἐχῖνος or echino it means sea urchin. because of the flower pad in the middle looks spiny. :)

[LotaOldstuff]

Wonder how propagation is done is it by thinning your plants? The video did not cover "how" only said that a person would have to purchase Enchinacea from the garden shop? If Enchinacea cannot be propagated from seed why can you buy seed at the store?

[5277407]

These look great in my garden in New York. I just leave them alone and they do just fine.

[svtcontour]

I really like these as well. I find they also attract bees - especially bumblebees which are great for a photo :) I have a bunch from a few years ago and I recently added another four in another part of the flower bed.

[DarkDuei]

I think I drowned mine. Too much water. :(