Perennial
Purple coneflower
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in July | Flowers in August | Flowers in September | |||||||||
| Plant | Plant in April | Plant in May | Plant in September | |||||||||
| Prune | Prune in February | Prune in March | ||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October | Looks good in November | Looks good in December |
Overview
Purple coneflower is a North American prairie plant with daisy flowers of rosy-purple petals that droop slightly around a raised, bristly orange-brown cone. It flowers from midsummer into autumn and is a magnet for bees and butterflies. Reliable choices include the species itself, 'Magnus' with flatter, broader petals, and the white 'White Swan'. Many of the bright orange and double hybrids look stunning in the garden centre but often fade away within a couple of years.
Where to grow purple coneflower
Give echinacea full sun and an open, airy position. It copes with most soils, including clay, as long as water does not sit around the crown in winter, which is the main cause of losses. It looks at home in prairie-style plantings with grasses and late daisies.
Planting
Spring is the best time, as plants put on roots before winter. Space them 45 cm apart and water them in. Pinch out any flower buds on very young plants in their first summer to help them establish a stronger root system.
Care through the year
Spring
Cut last year's stems down as new leaves appear and protect young shoots from slugs, which find them irresistible.
Summer
Water new plants in dry spells; established clumps are fairly drought tolerant. Deadhead early flowers to prolong flowering if you wish.
Autumn
Stop deadheading and let the cones ripen, as birds pick the seed and the dark heads look striking with frost.
Winter
Leave stems standing for structure and wildlife. Avoid heavy mulch over the crowns on wet ground.
Pruning
Cut old stems to the ground in late winter or early spring, before new growth gets going. The so-called Chelsea chop, cutting a third off some stems in late May, gives bushier plants that flower a little later.
Propagation
Sow seed of the species in spring under cover; it germinates better after a few weeks of cold. Clumps can be divided in spring, but echinacea resents disturbance, so do it sparingly. Root cuttings in late winter are another option.
Common problems
Slugs on new growth are the biggest threat. Plants dying over winter usually point to wet soil. Aster yellows, spread by leafhoppers, can cause green, distorted flowers; remove affected plants.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in February, March, April, May and September. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.