Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Coneflowers are tough prairie perennials with large, daisy-like pink-purple flowers around a domed orange centre. They tolerate heat and drought, flower all summer, and feed bees, butterflies and birds.
Photo: Eric Hunt · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water until established; then water only during long dry spells.
Soil
Well-drained, average soil; pH 6.0–8.0.
Temperature and humidity
-35–38 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
Little or no feeding.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed, division
Deadhead to extend flowering, or leave seed heads for birds in autumn.
Coneflowers are not toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Plant in a pollinator border.
Divide clumps every 4 years.
New hybrids come in orange, red and white.
Avoid rich soil, which makes stems flop.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseaseLeaf spot
Fungal or bacterial infections that cause brown, black or purple spots on leaves, often with a yellow halo, leading to early leaf drop.
How to treat it →DiseasePowdery mildew
A fungal disease that coats leaves, buds and young shoots with a white, flour-like dust, weakening the plant and spoiling flowers and fruit.
How to treat it →
