Light
Full sun, six hours or more. It will take a little afternoon shade but leans toward the light.
Growing guide · Perennials
Echinacea purpurea
How to grow Purple Coneflower.
Blooms all summer. Asks for nothing.
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Water
- Low
- Zones
- 3–9
- Size
- 2–4 ft tall
- Spacing
- 18–24 in. apart
- Pets
- Not pet-safe; keep out of reach
Water
Water weekly the first summer while roots settle. After that it handles drought on its own; water only in a long dry spell.
Planting and soil
Plant in spring or early fall with the crown level with the soil. Average or even poor soil is fine as long as it drains. Skip the compost.
Feeding
None. Rich soil and fertilizer make tall, floppy stems.
Pruning
Deadhead in summer for more flowers. Stop in late summer and leave the seed heads standing for the goldfinches. Cut old stems down in early spring.
Through the year
Leaves up in spring. Blooms June to September. Seed heads through winter.
If something's off
Green, twisted flowers mean aster yellows: pull that plant so it doesn't spread. Rot means the soil stays too wet.
The prairie original.
Before it was a supplement, it was a meadow plant from the middle of the country, tough enough to shrug off heat, drought and neglect. It still is.
Why we stock it: It does the hard part (blooming for months) and lets you take the credit.
Purple Coneflowerfrom $21.99 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
Purple Coneflowerfrom $21.99 · Arrives alive, or we replace it