Echinacea, a superb and virtuous flower

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Often mistaken for a daisy, echinacea carries tall stems of coloured flowers from summer right through to autumn, and its roots have long been used to reinforce the immune system. Give it full sun and rich, well-drained soil, for it loathes having its roots in water, and it will bloom abundantly all summer.

Purple coneflower blooms from summer to fall and it is simply beautiful. Take delight in these beautiful flowers that adapt to our climates so well. Care is so easy, it is perfect for beginners.

Planting echinacea

In spring in a sheltered spot and in full sun. Purple coneflower requires rather rich and well drained soil because it loathes having its roots dwell in water.

Particularly resilient to drought, feel very free to place it in a very hot and sun-bathed corner.

• Propagation through cuttings is very easy for this perennial. Perform in spring or at the end of summer.
• One can also divide the crown in spring or fall. This is actually highly recommended every 3-4 years to regenerate the plant.

• Set container-grown echinacea with the crown level with the surrounding soil, and follow supplier instructions for bare-root divisions; either way, avoid heaping soil over the crown, as echinacea dislikes persistent damp at its base.
• On heavy clay, improve drainage by working in coarse grit and planting on a slight mound, since Echinacea is prone to crown and root rot in soil that stays wet through winter.
• Water new plantings regularly while they establish — often a full growing season for perennials, but commonly two to three years for trees and shrubs — since drought tolerance develops only after roots establish.
• Follow the spacing recommended for each species rather than a single rule of thumb, since giving plants room for good air movement around the foliage helps reduce powdery mildew pressure.

Pruning and caring for echinacea

Easy to grow and care for, purple coneflower requires little attention and will bloom abundantly all summer long. A few good tips should help you increase the blooming still more.

• Remove wilted flowers regularly (deadheading) in order to boost flower-bearing.
• Give it a round shape at the beginning of spring, pruning the plant back lightly (about ⅓ the height of the stems).
• Add flower plant fertilizer in spring to stimulate the blooming.

• For many roses, perennials and shrubs, cut the spent stem back to a healthy bud or pair of leaves rather than just nipping off the flower, avoiding bare stubs; other plants, such as bulbs, are best treated differently.
• Leave some purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) seedheads standing through winter rather than deadheading them all, since goldfinches and other seed-eating birds feed on the seeds, and cut the stems back in early spring.
• Avoid nitrogen-rich lawn or foliage feeds on echinacea, as they push soft leafy growth and floppy stems; choose a fertiliser richer in potassium, which favours flower buds.
• Watch for powdery mildew where clumps are crowded, and reduce the risk by spacing plants so air circulates freely around the foliage, since unlike many fungal diseases it does not require wet leaves to take hold.

Echinacea jobs through the year

Every task the plant asks for is tied to a moment in the season. Here is what to do, when, and what each job achieves.

Keep to this rhythm and the plant will bloom abundantly all summer long with very little else asked of you.

Therapeutic uses of echinacea

Purple coneflower is a plant for which many health benefits have been recognized, and it is widely included in capsule preparations for herbalism.

From the purple coneflower, the root and the rest of the part are used for therapeutic purposes. Three varieties often come up for medicinal use: Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida and Echinacea purpurea.

• It reinforces the immune system by supporting our body’s defense mechanisms.
• It treats respiratory tract infections.
• It helps treat diseases such as flu, colds, or pharyngitis.
• Lastly, purple coneflower treats urinary tract infections.

Echinacea varieties worth growing

Beyond the familiar purple type, garden centres and seed catalogues offer coneflowers in white, green and warm shades, on plants from knee-high to shoulder-high. The table below compares the most widely sold varieties.

All there is to know about echinacea

Native to North America, and sometimes mistaken to be a daisy, echinacea will offer you beautiful flowers from summer to fall. This plant is part of same family as the aster.

Quite hardy and disease-resistant, it poses absolutely no problems in terms of care.

Echinacea purpurea, a close cousin to rudbeckia, will bear leafage and flowers that will give your flower beds new colors, but there are many other colors and varieties.

Also, echinacea has medicinal properties that the Indians had discovered long ago, and which are still part today of many therapeutic solutions for them, and increasingly for the rest of the Western world, too.