How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Coneflowers
Coneflowers, also known as echinacea, are one of America’s native wildflowers, beloved by butterflies, bees, and songbirds. Learn more about growing coneflower careâfrom planting to pests to deadheading.
About Perennial Coneflowers
Echinacea are tough perennials in the daisy family (Asteraceae) and hardy in Zones 3 to 9. They are native to the eastern and central United States, blooming in mid-summer and continue to flower sporadically until frost.Â
The genus is named after the Greek word for hedgehog, echinos, because of the cone-like center which attracts butterflies and bees. Leave the seed heads after bloom and you’ll also attract songbirds such as goldfinches! Â
Of course, this plant is good for us humans, too, with many medicinal properties; today, it’s especially popular as an herbal tea to strengthen the immune system.Â
Do Coneflowers Spread?
This is not an aggressive plant, but it will naturally self-seed and spread, which you can encourage if you wait to cut back until late winter (or prohibit self-seeding if you deadhead the flowers right after they fade). Hybrids will not self-sow; most are sterile (they do not produce viable seeds). Hybrids aren’t of much interest to birds, either.
The Purple Coneflower
The purple coneflower (E. purpurea) is the most common and readily available. The flowers measure 2 to 4 inches in diameter with a mounded, brown, central cone of disk flowers, surrounded by long light purple rays that droop down its center cone. But also up to nine naturally occurring echinacea can be found in purple shades or yellow (E. paradoxa). They have dark green lower leaves 4 to 8 inches long.
Coneflowers are striking when planted in masses, especially as a mix of various colors. They are trouble-free once established in a traditional garden or wildflower meadow. They are commonly seen in perennial flower gardens.
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- Coneflowers are drought tolerant, but new plants need water occasionally, and more often if the spring season is especially dry.Â
- Native in ground coneflowers seldom need fertilizer.
- To delay blooming for fall enjoyment (and compact growth), cut back stems 1 foot when plants come into bloom. For staggered bloom heights and times, cut only a few stems.
- Beneficial, wasplike soldier beetles may appear in August. They feed on insect eggs and larvae and pollinate plants. Do not harm them. Learn more about insects that help out around the garden.
- In late fall, lightly spread mulch in colder regions.
- Cut the stems back to soil level when they wither or after frost.
- Divide or transplant coneflowers in spring or fall.
Deadheading Coneflowers
Should you deadhead coneflowers? There are pros and cons. Deadheading right after a flower fades prolongs bloomingâand prevents reseeding. However, if you can wait until late winter, your birds will enjoy those seedheadsâespecially goldfinch. Plus, coneflowers self-seed prolifically so where you had only one, you’ll will have multiple places in the garden with lovely blooms that attract butterflies and bees.
How to deadhead coneflowers? After the flowers fade, cut back stems to a leaf near a new flower bud or a set of leaves. Use sharp, sterilized shears as coneflowers are too thick to simply snap back the spent flower head with your fingers.
Growing Coneflowers in Pots
We tend to grow coneflowers in the ground as perennial plants, but you can certainly grow them in pots if the containers are deep enough for the plant’s taproot.Â
- Use 2- or 3-gallon (or larger) pots, with drainage holes. Spread crushed gravel in the bottom of the pots for drainage.
- Fill the pot halfway with potting mix. Tamp down. Plant the root ball an inch below the rim of the container, spreading out the roots. Add soil slowly until it is even with the top of the root ball, tamping down lightly. Water deeply.
- Keep pots in partial shade for 2 to 3 days, then place in full morning sun and partial afternoon shade.
- Always water deeply at soil level with the soil is dry to the touch. Water on leaves can cause fungal disease.
- Fertilize every couple of weeks with a water-soluble 10-10-10 product.
- Deadhead just below the base of the flower for continued bloom.
- To overwinter, prune plants to soil level when plant growth slows in fall.
- Move to a cool (40Âș to 50ÂșF) area, with low to moderate indirect light.
- Check the soil every couple of weeks and water lightly when the top 3 inches are dry.Â
- When new.growth appears in spring, move to a brighter, warmer (60Âș to 70ÂșF) area. Moving the plant helps to prepare it for living outdoors in the spring and summer.Â
- Do not water leaves from above, as this can encourage fungal disease on leaves. Instead, water at soil level. Use an insecticidal soap or neem oil solution spray if you see any aphids or pests.
- Every 3 to 4 years, in spring after new growth has started, divide and repot echinacea plants.
These are native, unless noted …
- âRobert Bloomâ (Echinacea purpurea): red-purple petals;Â prominent, dark orange centersÂ
- âFinale Whiteâ (E. purpurea):Â creamy-white petals; greenish-brown centers
- Narrow-leaf coneflower (E. augustifolia): similar to E. purpurea
- Pale purple coneflower (E. pallida); native to Ontario
- Sanguine purple coneflower (E. sanguinea): red-purple petals with streaks (sanguinea, Latin for âbloodâ refers to streaks in petals;Â native to southern states
- Smooth purple coneflower (E. laevigata): narrow, drooping, pale-pink petals; endangered
- Tennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis): upturned mauve petals; greenish-pink centers
- Topeka purple coneflower (E. atrorubens): deep pink short petals; rare
- Wavy leaf coneflower (E. simulata): yellow pollen distinguishes it from E. pallida (white pollen)
- Yellow coneflower (E. paradoxa), aka Ozark coneflower: yellow petals
- âCleopatraâ (E. hybrid): soft yellow petals; copper-green centers
Read about our favorite coneflower varieties here!
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If I deadhead my black eyed Susan can I just put the head on the ground where I have a large bed of them?
It is fine to place a few spent flowers on the ground nearby if you are just passing through and find a few blossoms that need deadheading. If you have a lot of deadheading to do, however, one consideration is that in certain cases, the plant debris may harbor insects/diseases, or encourage them, so it might be best to dispose of the spent flowers elsewhere, such as in the compost pile (unless the flowers are obviously diseased), or, if you have access to a wilder area such as a woods or meadow, you can place the spent flowers there for wildlife to enjoy. Also, if you place on the ground cut flowers that have already formed seeds, you may find volunteer seedlings popping up the next growing season (although newer varieties may have sterile seeds). Hope this helps!
Typo: Fertilizer every couple of seeks with a water-soluble 10-10-10 product
Thanks, it takes a village!
Can I plant cone flower plants in late summer/fall? I have seeds I want to start indoors.
You can plant in early spring or early fall. Just be sure your new plants have at least 6 weeks to establish roots before the first expected frost or they might not come back in the spring.
This year, I've noticed some/most of my coneflower plant's flower centers are not spiky. The centers are brown and feel and look mushy (rotting?) I've inspected the whole plants and cannot see any insects. What could be causing this. Thanks!
Sorry to hear about your coneflowers. They are such beautiful flowers, especially those prickly discs.
There is one pest, the Coneflower Rosette Mite, that are microscopic (very difficult to see without magnification) and live within the flower buds and suck nutrients from the base of the flowers. They can cause stunted and distorted flower parts, as well as green to reddish-green elongated rosette-like tufts that sprout from the tops or sides of the cones.
It also could be a sign of some sort of fungal disease or rot that is stemming from an issue with the roots.
Unfortunately, it is probably best to remove the infected flowers and put them in the trashâdo not compost. In the fall, perform your annual cleanup maintenance and, if possible, pull up one of the flowers to see if there is any issue underground.
A good article. There are many lovely colours available. However, aphids DO attack cone flowers. I have had to deal with a heavy infestation of red aphids on my yellow coneflowers this year. Never had them before and after running my fingers up the stems (so gross even with gloves on) and giving them a mild soapy bath, they finally subsided. It did take a few days of repeated treatments to be rid of them.
There are a few pests that will attack coneflowers with aphids being one of them. In large numbers, they can greatly affect the vitality of your plants. Using a soapy water solution is the best way to address an aphids issue. It can take a few treatments, but in the end it will help get rid of your infestation.
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