How to Grow Echinacea (Coneflowers)

When & Where to Plant Echinacea

Light: Echinacea thrives in full to partial sun. ...
Soil: Echinacea will tolerate poor rocky soil, but will not grow in wet, mucky soil. ...
Spacing: Coneflowers are clumping plants. ...
Planting: Plant Echinacea plants in the spring or the fall, in well-drained soil in full to part sun.

Do coneflowers come back every year?
Where do coneflowers grow best?
Are echinacea easy to grow?
Does Echinacea flower the first year?
Will coneflowers spread?
How do you winterize coneflowers?
Do coneflowers need a lot of water?
Should you deadhead coneflowers?
Are coneflowers toxic to dogs?
What can I plant next to echinacea?
Does Echinacea self seed?
How long does Echinacea take to grow?

Do coneflowers come back every year?

If you enjoy watching pollinators buzzing and flitting around beautiful, hassle-free flowers that bloom for a long time, coneflowers are a must-grow. ... They don't just delight for a season, either, as these are perennial flowers that will come back year after year.

Where do coneflowers grow best?

Coneflowers prefer well-drained soil and full sun for best bloom. Choose a location where the coneflowers won't get shaded out nor shade out others. They may reach between 2 and 4 feet in height, depending on variety.

Are echinacea easy to grow?

They're easy enough to grow, too. Plant them in a south- or west-facing spot in any rich, well-drained soil for blooms that should last from mid-summer to mid-autumn. ... Thanks in part to the resurgence of prairie-style planting there are new echinacea varieties being produced all the time.

Does Echinacea flower the first year?

Sow and Plant

Echinacea often does not bloom reliably until its second year in the garden.

Will coneflowers spread?

Spacing: Coneflowers are clumping plants. One plant will tend to get larger, but it will not spread and overtake the garden via roots or rhizomes.

How do you winterize coneflowers?

Coneflower (Echinacea) – Leave the seed heads up in winter for wildlife and then trim the stems to the basal foliage and simply clean up the remaining foliage in spring. Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis) – Prune down to basal foliage in fall.

Do coneflowers need a lot of water?

Watering: Tolerant of drought, but does best in average, dry to medium moisture. Water regularly, but let soil dry out in between. Coneflowers need at least an inch of water weekly.

Should you deadhead coneflowers?

Most coneflowers produce several flowers per stem and will rebloom without any deadheading. Oftentimes, new blooms will appear at leaf nodes before the top flower finishes wilting. ... In late summer to fall, stop deadheading spent blooms so that birds can eat the seed through the fall and winter.

Are coneflowers toxic to dogs?

The purple coneflower is not listed as toxic to canines, but the ingestion of a large amount may result in undesirable effects that can cause discomfort for your pet. Mild stomach upset may result as the digestive systems of dogs are not designed to break down large quantities of plant material.

What can I plant next to echinacea?

Sedum, Bee Balm (Monarda), Phlox, Ornamental Grasses such as Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) or Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum rubrum), are also great companion plants. Echinacea are excellent as cut or dried flowers.

Does Echinacea self seed?

Echinacea purpurea will typically self-seed annually in the landscape; however, if growing plants from scratch, seeds can be started outdoors in the spring or summer, up to two months before frost. Keep in mind that plants started from seed can take two or more years to develop into a sizeable plant.

How long does Echinacea take to grow?

Echinacea is easy to grow from nursery stock, seed or division. Sow outdoors 1/2 inch deep when a light frost is still possible. Seeds will germinate in 10-20 days. Flowers reliably bloom the first year from seed if sown early (see Summer Flowers for Color).