Echinaceas are tough perennials with vibrant flowers that bloom from mid summer to early autumn. Pollinators flock to the daisy-like flowers, and the seedheads provide valuable food for finches and sparrows over winter.
Echinacea is best known as a popular herbal remedy for winter colds, but the plants from which the extract is derived are worthy of a space in any sun-kissed garden. Echinacea plants have some of the most attractive flowers to pollinators, and their strong stems make them an excellent cut flower.
Echinacea flowers from June or July to September. Pink, purple and white cultivars are most common, but you can also find echinacea with green, yellow or orange flowers, as well as distinctive multitoned varieties.
There are nine species of echinacea, but Echinacea purpurea cultivars are the most widely grown in the UK, as they tend to be the most resilient to our wet winters. Echinacea pallida is also very popular in naturalistic, prairie planting, as its long, slender petals sweep back from the central cone, giving a more relaxed look.
Where to plant echinacea
Echinacea loves full sun; the more it gets, the more it flowers. They're happy growing in any soil type as long as it drains well and isn't too dry. Coneflowers are native to the North America prairies, so they can cope with warm summers and cold winters, but they will struggle with wet soil. Avoid planting them in areas prone to waterlogging, and if you have heavy clay soil, you may be better off growing echinacea in pots or raised beds.
These colourful flowers look wonderful with grasses, rudbeckias and coreopsis in a prairie style planting scheme or with other sun-loving perennials as part of a cottage garden border.
You can grow echinacea in pots, but it's best to choose a compact variety of Echinacea purpurea, such as Echinacea 'Little Magnus'. Echinacea purpurea forms a fibrous root system, as opposed to the deep taproots formed by other species, which makes it more suitable for container growing. As echinacea flowers later in the season, consider combining it with spring bulbs or an evergreen plant like lavender for spring and early summer.
When to plant echinacea
Spring and early summer are the best times to plant new echinacea plants. If your soil is light and well drained, you can also plant coneflowers in autumn, but this is best avoided on heavy clay soils that are prone to waterlogging.
You can replant echinacea plants bought later in the year into larger pots and keep them in a sheltered location over winter to protect the roots, before planting them out in spring.
How to plant echinacea
On heavier soils, mix organic matter, such as leaf mould or garden compost, and horticultural grit into the soil before planting to help with drainage. Dig a hole large enough to encompass the pot your plant came in. Remove your echinacea plant from its pot and place it in the hole, then backfill the soil to the same level. Water it well and add a layer of mulch around the plant.
When planting coneflowers in pots, choose a large, deep container with good drainage. Fill it partway with peat-free multipurpose compost (you can mix in some grit to aid drainage), position your echinacea plant so the base of the stems is a few centimeters below the rim of the pot, and add compost around it.
How to care for echinacea
Although echinacea is fairly drought tolerant once established, young plants need regular, deep watering to encourage them to send down deep, strong roots. Once established, plants in the ground shouldn't need watering unless there's a prolonged dry spell, but you'll need to water echinacea in pots when the soil dries out.
You can mulch echinacea in autumn to offer protection over winter, and in spring to add nutrients and suppress weeds. Too much fertiliser can lead to weak, floppy stems and fewer flowers, so go easy on the plant food.
Echinacea are hardy across the UK. It's worth moving plants in pots to a sheltered area over winter and raising them on pot feet to prevent the compost from becoming waterlogged.
Pick or deadhead echinacea flowers as they bloom to encourage the plant to produce more flowers (and because they look pretty in a case). In autumn, you can either cut back remaining flower stems to the ground or leave them in place – the seedheads provide winter interest and food for birds.
Divide plants every three or four years to keep them healthy and prevent clumps from becoming congested.
How to propagate echinacea
Echinacea is a short-lived perennial, but you can divide mature plants to keep them healthy and get new stock. To divide echinacea, lift the plant in spring or early autumn and use a sharp spade or knife to split the clump into two or three sections, making sure each section has shoots and roots. Replant the sections immediately.
An alternative option to grow new echinacea plants is to take root cuttings in late autumn when the plants are dormant. This is a better option for echinacea species with deep taproots, as you can dig around part of the plant to access roots rather than digging it up entirely.
Growing echinacea from seed is relatively easy. You can either sow echinacea seeds indoors in February or March or sow them in August or early September to flower the following year. Echinacea seedlings need to be kept in a bright, frost-free location. If you leave the seedheads on your echinacea plants, you may find new plants pop up in your garden the following year.
Common problems
If echinacea has the right growing conditions (lots of sun and well drained soil) it's a resilient plant. The most common issue gardeners experience in the UK is root rot, due to the soil being too wet. Plants are most at risk of this when young. To help prevent this, plant echinacea in spring or early summer and, if necessary, mix organic matter or grit into the soil when planting to improve drainage.
New echinacea plants take a bit of time to establish, and it's common to not get many flowers in the first year. Don't panic – it'll make up for it in the second!
Slugs and snails may munch on echinacea seedlings or young plants. Aphids can occasionally be a problem; you can blast them off with a hose (or water pistol!) or leave them for natural predators, such as lacewings, to feed on.
Our favourite echinacea varieties
Echinacea 'SunSeekers Pink' has large flower heads with slightly reflexed, broad pink petals. It grows to around 60 centimeters and produces lots of flowers on sturdy stems that are perfect for cutting.
Echinacea 'Green Twister' is a bold, eye-catching cultivar with unique two-tone petals. The lime green tips blend seamlessly into deep pink centres. Perfect for adding a bit of drama to your garden.
Echinacea 'Little Magnus' is a compact echinacea specifically bred for pots and smaller gardens. It grows to around 45 centimetres with a spread of 30 centimetres and produces masses of bright pink flowers. A great plant for attracting pollinators to a patio garden.
Echinacea 'Summer Cocktail' has lovely colour-changing flowers that bloom orange-yellow and turn salmon pink as they mature. A stunning variety that will light up your beds in mid and late summer.
FAQ
What is echinacea?
Echinacea is a genus of flowering perennial plants. Echinacea extract is used in herbal teas and medicines as it's thought to help boost the immune system. Echinaceas bloom in late summer with pretty pink, purple or white daisy-like flowers. This drought tolerant perennial is best planted in spring or early summer.
Is echinacea a perennial?
Echinacea (coneflower) is a herbaceous perennial, meaning it dies back over winter and produces new shoots in spring. These conical flowering plants bloom from June or July to September and grow well in full sun and well drained soil. Echinacea purpurea and its cultivars are the most popular varieties grown in the UK.
When does echinacea flower?
Echinacea (coneflower) blooms from mid summer to early autumn in the UK. This sun-loving perennial adds vibrant colour to cottage garden and prairie planting schemes and also grows well in gravel gardens. Choose a classic purple or pink flower like Echinacea 'SunSeekers Pink' or go wild with the lime green and pink flowers of Echinacea 'Green Twister'.
Does echinacea spread?
Echinacea aren't invasive, though they do self seed. If you don't want the seeds to spread, remove flowers as they fade and cut all stems back to the base of the plant in autumn. Young echinacea plants will grow and form a clump as they mature, so check the eventual size of the variety when buying echinacea plants and make sure you give it sufficient space in your garden.
