How to Grow Echinacea and Other Coneflowers in Your Garden

Coneflowers are any of three genera of the daisy, aster, and sunflower (Asteraceae) family: Echinacea, Ratibida, and Rudbeckia. These plants are native to North America and considered wildflowers in some areas. The name coneflower is a reference to the cone-shaped center, or disk, of the flower. Coneflowers are perfect for home gardens because they are heat- and drought-tolerant, and they attract pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.

Echinacea is one of the three different genera known as coneflowers. Some well-known species in the Echinacea genus include Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea. Members of the Echinacea species are known by their common name, purple coneflowers, or (confusingly) just coneflowers. The Echinacea genus is known for its medicinal properties, which is why it’s the only coneflower genus most people know by name.

Coneflowers can be split into three genera: Echinacea, Ratibida, and Rudbeckia.

1. 1. Echinacea: Members of this genus have purple flowers, so they’re often known as purple coneflowers. (The yellow-petaled Echinacea paradoxa was the only exception until the recent development of hybrids bred for different flower colors, like White Swan and Cheyenne Spirit.) There are nine species of Echinacea, the best known of which are the perennials Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, and Echinacea tennesseensis (Tennessee coneflower). The pungent, black roots were used as medicine by many Native American tribes to heal wounds, dull pain, and boost the immune system. The name Echinacea comes from the Greek word for hedgehog, a reference to the spiky-looking inner disk.
2. 2. Ratibida: The best-known member of the Ratibida genus is the prairie coneflower (R. columnaris), which has yellow petals, a brown center, and segmented leaves like all species of this genus.
3. 3. Rudbeckia: This genus includes 25 perennial, biennial, and annual species with brown or black centers and yellow petals. The most famous variety of Rudbeckia is the black-eyed Susan (R. hirta).

Coneflowers are easy to grow from seed in your backyard.

1. 1. Sow seeds in fall or winter. Coneflower seeds benefit from 12 weeks of cold conditioning, also known as cold stratification. In fall or early winter, scatter seeds over empty flower beds in a spot with full sun or partial shade and cover with a thin layer of potting soil. The temperature fluctuations of the winter weather will actually help coneflower seeds germinate. Alternatively, place seeds in a plastic bag filled with damp sand, peat moss, or vermiculite. Over the course of 12 weeks, store the seeds alternately in the refrigerator and freezer, then direct-sow. Some packaged seeds have already been through this process and are ready to direct-seed in early spring. Consult your seed package for more information.
2. 2. Monitor seedlings closely. Once seedlings sprout, keep them well watered and weeded. Thin the plants so they’re six to 12 inches apart.
3. 3. Water sparingly. Once the plants have passed the delicate seedling stage, only water during dry spells. Coneflowers are drought-tolerant and their root crowns will rot if overwatered.
4. 4. Add compost. In mid-spring, apply a side-dressing of compost by adding a thin layer of compost all around the base of each plant.

Coneflowers are low-maintenance perennial plants that bloom year after year, but they do require some care. In the United States, coneflower plants are best suited to USDA Hardiness Zones three through nine.

1. 1. Consider companion planting. Grow coneflowers like Echinacea or black-eyed Susans as companion plants with other drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly plants such as lavender.
2. 2. Harvest roots when ready. If you want to grow Echinacea for medicinal use, make sure you’ve planted one of the three species of the Echinacea genus used in herbal medicine: E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida. Wait a minimum of three to four years before harvesting roots to allow the plants to get established. Harvest roots during the dormant period when leaves are brown. This is also a good time to propagate your plant.
3. 3. Propagate by division. Overgrown perennial coneflowers benefit from propagation by division, which strengthens the individual plants. You can harvest some of the roots for medicinal use, leaving one taproot for each new plantlet. Divide each plant into two to five smaller plantlets by separating along the crown of the roots. Transplanted the divided coneflowers immediately, whether outdoors or in a greenhouse. If the roots dry out before transplanting, moisten them in water.
4. 4. Save seeds. Seed-saving is the ancient practice of collecting seeds from the most vigorous plants to sow next season. You can harvest coneflower seeds starting in the second year. In late summer to mid-fall, cut off the head of the flower and allow it to dry in the sun. Gently break up the seed heads to remove the seeds from the chaff, taking care not to damage the seeds. Coneflowers will also self-seed if left in the ground.
5. 5. Prevent powdery mildew. Powdery mildew can affect crowded and overwatered coneflowers. Divide crowded plants and allow the soil to dry out in between waterings.
6. 6. Deadhead your coneflower plants. Deadheading, or snipping off the wilted flower heads, will encourage your plants to produce more blooms and prevent unwanted self-seeding.
7. 7. Accept the presence of insects and birds. Coneflowers are vulnerable to bugs such as Japanese beetles and leafhoppers, but insects usually cause minimal damage and won't harm the plant's root system. Birds such as goldfinches will feed on coneflower seeds, and most home gardeners are content to donate a portion of their flower beds to the songbirds.

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