Echinacea Purpurea Plant Profile
Care, Uses and Types of Purple Coneflowers for Gardens
Purple coneflowers or Echinaceas are fabulous perennial plants for use in a wide variety of gardening landscapes. See how to select and grow Echinacea plants.
Botanical and Common Name: Echinacea purpurea is the scientific name for the Purple coneflower.
Plant Category: Echinacea plants are herbaceous perennials.
Bloom Time and Color: Echinacea plants typically bloom in the summer lasting for several weeks. Echinacea purpurea was called Purple coneflower because of the large, daisy-like, purple flowers but Echinacea flowers come in purple, white, blush, wine, cream, and yellow colors now.
Foliage: Echinacea plants have clumps of foliage with dark green, lance shaped leaves about 4” long.
Growth Habit: Purple coneflower plants grow in large, upright or semi-sprawling clumps that add rounded growth or upright growth accents to large containers or mixed, drought-tolerant borders.
Dimensions: Echinacea plants grow around 4' tall and wide although recent hybridizing has produced dwarf coneflower cultivars half as tall.
Preferred Conditions: Echinacea plants are perennials hardy to zone 3 and best planted in the fall season although their ease to establish makes spring planting fine. Purple coneflower plants are drought tolerant and thrive in medium to poor soil and full sun.
Maintenance: Some gardeners deadhead their Echinacea plants to keep the plants looking tidy. Gardeners can prune them back lightly after the growing season ends in late fall, or leave the dried seed heads for winter interest. Divide every 4 years or as needed to prevent overcrowding.
Pests or Diseases: Perfect for tough conditions, Echinaceas are pest and disease resistant.
Propagation Methods: Self-seeding is common if Echinacea seed heads are allowed to stand and ripen. Some hybrid Echinaceas must be purchased as started plants and propagated through division.
Companion Plants: Plant Echinacea plants with other full sun perennials like Coreopsis, Thyme, Dianthus, Lavender or Rosemary and enjoy a charming mixed border of textures, fragrances and color.
Seasons of Interest: Echinacea plants provide garden interest in late spring through winter months. Late spring is when the coneflower buds begin to appear. Winter interest can be found by leaving the Echinacea seed heads standing.
Uses in the Garden: Use Echinacea for any full sun border, kitchen and herb gardens, drought-tolerant planters and containers, prairie or meadow gardens as well as a native, naturalized landscaped area.
Other Uses: Echinacea is used as an immune boosting supplement against colds, flus and minor infections. The seeds are also attractive to small song birds, especially goldfinch. Echinacea flowers are also great for cut flower arrangements.
Cultivars:
- Kim's Knee-High Echinacea – A dwarf cultivar only 15-24” high with pink-purple, drooping petals this is a great choice for summer containers.
- Razzmatazz Echinacea – This Purple coneflower is highly unusual with a double-flowered form that looks almost “pom-pom” like on some flowers. The Razzmatazz Echinacea has 3-4” wide flowers that grow to 2 ½ ' tall.
- White Swan Echinacea – A full-sized white Echinacea. Full size plant with full size flowers the white petals stand out in contract to the green-brown centers.
- Finale White Echinacea – Like 'White Swan', this Echinacea has large white flowers, but the 'Finale White' is a more compact plant reaching only about 24” tall.
- The King Echinacea – This Purple coneflower reaches 5' tall with huge flowers that are as big as 6” across. A dramatic cut flower plant, 'The King' is a rosy purple flowering Echinacea.
- Big Sky 'Sunrise' Echinacea – A medium sized plant with large yellow flowers and green cone centers that turn orange as they ripen. A unique coneflower, 'Sunrise' is part of the Big Sky series.
Echinacea plants are being bred rapidly right now and new varieties are constantly being produced. See a 2008 Echinacea introduction and more information about Echinacea hybrids.
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