Planting, Growing, and Caring for Coneflowers
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Coneflowers, also known as echinacea, are one of America’s native wildflowers, beloved by butterflies, bees, and songbirds. Learn more about growing coneflower care—from planting to pests to deadheading.
About Perennial Coneflowers
Echinacea are tough perennials in the daisy family (Asteraceae) and hardy in Zones 3 to 9. They are native to the eastern and central United States, blooming in mid-summer and continue to flower sporadically until frost.
The genus is named after the Greek word for hedgehog, echinos, because of its cone-like center, which attracts butterflies and bees. Leave the seed heads after bloom, and you’ll also attract songbirds such as goldfinches!
Of course, this plant is good for humans, too, with many medicinal properties; today, it’s especially popular as an herbal tea to strengthen the immune system.
Do Coneflowers Spread?
This is not an aggressive plant, but it will naturally self-seed and spread, which you can encourage if you wait to cut back until late winter (or prohibit self-seeding if you deadhead the flowers right after they fade). Hybrids will not self-sow; most are sterile (they do not produce viable seeds). Hybrids aren’t of much interest to birds, either.
The Purple Coneflower
The purple coneflower (E. purpurea) is the most common and readily available. The flowers measure 2 to 4 inches in diameter and have a mounded, brown, central cone of disk flowers surrounded by long light purple rays that droop down the center cone. Up to nine naturally occurring echinacea can also be found in purple shades or yellow (E. paradoxa). They have dark green lower leaves 4 to 8 inches long.
Coneflowers are striking when planted in masses, especially as a mix of various colors. They are trouble-free once established in a traditional garden or wildflower meadow. They are commonly seen in perennial flower gardens.
Growing
- Coneflowers are drought tolerant, but new plants need water occasionally and more often if the spring season is especially dry.
- Native in-ground coneflowers seldom need fertilizer.
- To delay blooming for fall enjoyment (and compact growth), cut back stems 1 foot when plants come into bloom. For staggered bloom heights and times, cut only a few stems.
- Beneficial, wasplike soldier beetles may appear in August. They feed on insect eggs and larvae and pollinate plants. Do not harm them. Learn more about insects that help out around the garden.
- In late fall, lightly spread mulch in colder regions.
- Cut the stems back to soil level when they wither or after frost.
- Divide or transplant coneflowers in spring or fall.
Deadheading Coneflowers
Should you deadhead coneflowers? There are pros and cons. Deadheading right after a flower fades prolongs blooming and prevents reseeding. However, if you can wait until late winter, your birds—especially goldfinch — will enjoy those seedheads. Plus, coneflowers self-seed prolifically, so where you had only one, you’ll have multiple places in the garden with lovely blooms that attract butterflies and bees.
How to deadhead coneflowers? After the flowers fade, cut back stems to a leaf near a new flower bud or a set of leaves. Use sharp, sterilized shears as coneflowers are too thick to snap back the spent flower head with your fingers.
Growing Coneflowers in Pots
We tend to grow coneflowers in the ground as perennial plants, but you can certainly grow them in pots if the containers are deep enough for the plant’s taproot.
- Use 2- or 3-gallon (or larger) pots with drainage holes. Spread crushed gravel in the bottom of the pots for drainage.
- Fill the pot halfway with the potting mix. Tamp down. Plant the root ball an inch below the rim of the container, spreading out the roots. Add soil slowly until it is even with the top of the root ball, tamping down lightly. Water deeply.
- Keep pots in partial shade for 2 to 3 days, then place in full morning sun and partial afternoon shade.
- Always water deeply at the soil level, and the soil is dry to the touch. Water on leaves can cause fungal disease.
- Fertilize every couple of weeks with a water-soluble 10-10-10 product.
- Deadhead just below the base of the flower for continued bloom.
- To overwinter, prune plants to soil level when plant growth slows in fall.
- Move to a cool (40º to 50ºF) area, with low to moderate indirect light.
- Check the soil every couple of weeks and water lightly when the top 3 inches are dry.
- When new growth appears in spring, move to a brighter, warmer (60º to 70ºF) area. Moving the plant helps to prepare it for living outdoors in the spring and summer.
- Do not water leaves from above, as this can encourage fungal disease on leaves. Instead, water at the soil level. Use an insecticidal soap or neem oil solution spray if you see any aphids or pests.
- Every 3 to 4 years, in spring, after new growth has started, divide and repot echinacea plants.
These are native, unless noted …
- ‘Robert Bloom’ (Echinacea purpurea): red-purple petals; prominent, dark orange centers
- ‘Finale White’ (E. purpurea): creamy-white petals; greenish-brown centers
- Narrow-leaf coneflower (E. augustifolia): similar to E. purpurea
- Pale purple coneflower (E. pallida); native to Ontario
- Sanguine purple coneflower (E. sanguinea): red-purple petals with streaks (sanguinea, Latin for “blood” refers to streaks in petals; native to southern states
- Smooth purple coneflower (E. laevigata): narrow, drooping, pale-pink petals; endangered
- Tennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis): upturned mauve petals; greenish-pink centers
- Topeka purple coneflower (E. atrorubens): deep pink short petals; rare
- Wavy leaf coneflower (E. simulata): yellow pollen distinguishes it from E. pallida (white pollen)
- Yellow coneflower (E. paradoxa), aka Ozark coneflower: yellow petals
- ‘Cleopatra’ (E. hybrid): soft yellow petals; copper-green centers
Read about our favorite coneflower varieties here!
Catherine Boeckmann
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Echinacea (Coneflower) can give you a second showing in a fall. Pinching off deadheads isn’t necessary (as it would be needed for some plants such as black-eyed susans) but it does help keep the plant neat.
I have the most beautiful red coneflowers that are about 3 years old. Something is eating the petals leaving just the "ball" centers. The leaves look healthy but I can't figure out what's happening to my beautiful flowers. Can you advise? Thanks!
There are a few different pests that could be doing the damage. Common culprits are Japanese beetles, earwigs, and cucumber beetles, though you would normally expect petals and foliage to be left with holes or chunks missing, rather than be completely eaten. If your plants are low enough to the ground, the damage could be caused by rabbits, too. See our Pest Pages for more information. To really figure out what is eating your plants, you may have to do some detective work. Check the undersides of leaves and in the soil around the plants, and investigate at night to see if you can catch a bug in the act. Good luck!
When the flowers start to look old and scraggly, do I cut the entire leaf or pop them off the stem. Have read most of these comments. Thank you SO much for ALL of this knowledge. I learned I can plant my seeds off the flowers.Yeah!!!!!
Cut the flower off just above the nearest leaf node to encourage more blooms. You can save the flower head if you’d like to collect the seeds for planting. Note that coneflower seeds are a favorite food of goldfinches, so leaving a few blooms on the plant will not only result in automatic reseeding, but also very happy birds.
Which is better and healthier for the cone flower? I recently bought a bag of manure and I'm not going to lie, I've already spread it around my plants and flowers. Will this have any consequences to my cone flower?
You’re in luck! Either’s fine. Put two inches of organic matter (compost or manure) around coneflowers. That’s all they need—no other fertilizer. But if you use manure, it should be aged enough that it’s brown and crumbly and no longer heating up the soil when you turn or mix it.
I have had a white coneflower going very well for at least 3-4 years. This year it is blooming purple.. Any idea what caused that?
We have heard of some “White Swan” coneflowers reverting to purple. Or, it’s possible that your plant was a hybrid cross between white and purple and dropped a seed last year that grew purple? Hard to say!
I planted 3 Echinacea plants in my garden last year and am hoping they return this year But it is june so far nothing. Does this mean I should try to plant them again?
