Growing Guide
How to Grow Echinacea
Echinacea, often known as the coneflower, is one of the most striking perennials you can add to your garden. Its large daisy-like flowers bloom from mid-summer into autumn, providing weeks of colour while attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficial pollinators.
Available in a wonderful range of colours, including pink, white, orange, yellow and rich reds, echinaceas combine beautifully with ornamental grasses, salvias, rudbeckias and other late-summer flowering perennials.
Although they have a reputation for being difficult, most problems are caused by planting them in the wrong conditions. Give them plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil, and they will reward you with reliable displays that improve year after year.
Need to know
• Fully hardy perennial.
• Best grown in full sun.
• Requires well-drained soil.
• Excellent for borders and wildlife gardens.
• Attractive to bees and butterflies.
• Seed heads provide winter interest and food for birds.
• Avoid heavy, waterlogged soil during winter.
• Flowers from mid-summer into autumn.
Choosing Your Plant
Choosing the Right Echinacea
Modern echinaceas are available in an incredible range of colours and flower forms, making it easy to find one that suits your garden.
Compact varieties are perfect for containers and the front of borders, while taller varieties create impressive displays in mixed perennial borders.
When choosing your echinacea, think about the overall planting scheme and select colours that complement neighbouring plants. Mixing different varieties together can provide a spectacular display from summer through to early autumn.
Growing Conditions
Choosing the Right Position
Echinaceas thrive in full sun and perform best in fertile, free-draining soil.
Choose an open position where plants receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Good drainage is particularly important during winter, as prolonged wet conditions are one of the main reasons plants fail.
Avoid planting in permanently damp or poorly drained areas wherever possible.
Getting Started
Planting Your Echinacea
Plant echinaceas at the same depth they were growing in their pot and water thoroughly after planting.
In heavier soils, incorporate grit or organic matter to improve drainage before planting. Space plants according to their mature size to allow good air movement around the foliage.
A sunny position and careful planting will help establish strong root systems that support years of healthy growth.
Ongoing Care
Watering
Water regularly during the first growing season while your echinacea becomes established.
Once settled, echinaceas are remarkably drought tolerant and generally require very little additional watering except during prolonged periods of hot, dry weather.
Avoid overwatering, particularly during cooler weather, as constantly wet soil can lead to root problems.
Keeping Plants Looking Their Best
Deadheading and Maintenance
Removing faded flowers encourages the plant to continue producing new blooms throughout summer.
Towards autumn you can choose whether to remove spent flower heads or leave them in place. Many gardeners leave the seed heads as they provide attractive winter structure and an important food source for birds.
Cut old stems back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Winter Care
Looking After Echinacea in Winter
Echinaceas are fully hardy, but they dislike sitting in cold, wet soil during winter.
Avoid heavy mulches directly over the crown, particularly in poorly drained gardens, as this can trap moisture around the plant.
Good drainage is far more important than protection from cold temperatures.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
The most common problem is plants failing to return after winter, which is usually caused by poor drainage rather than frost.
Weak flowering is often the result of too much shade or overcrowding.
Young plants may take a little time to establish before reaching their full potential, so don't be discouraged if the first year is less impressive than expected.
Providing plenty of sunshine and free-draining soil will prevent the majority of common problems.
From the grower
Alan's Top Tip
If an echinacea doesn't return after winter, don't immediately assume the cold has killed it. In most cases, it's prolonged winter wet around the roots that's responsible. Choose the sunniest, best-drained spot you can and you'll give your plants the best chance of thriving for many years.
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