Most people have heard of one of America’s best-loved native plants, if not by its common name coneflower, then by its genus and herbal remedy name, echinacea. Coneflowers are members of the Asteraceae genus, of which there are ten species along with daisies, sunflowers and asters. The name “echinacea” is derived from the Greek for sea urchin, which refers to their spiny, conical centers.
In this article, I explore echinacea’s considerable contribution to the perennial garden, followed by a plant summary and profile chart. As perhaps the most prolific and ubiquitous perennial in my garden, I’ve named this website after it as well. Can you tell I’m a fan?
The two main species Echinacea angustifolia, or narrow-leaved coneflower, and Echinacea purpurea, the purple coneflower (both pink) are native to southern Canada and eastern and central United States. Indigenous peoples have long regarded echinacea as an important medicinal plant. For many people, that’s still true today.
A word of caution
It’s widely known that echinacea extracts, lozenges and teas are sold over the counter as herbal remedies. However, I do not recommend ingesting home-grown plants in any form. Rare but serious adverse effects have been reported but can’t be substantiated. Please, plant coneflowers for their wonderful horticultural value only.
Versatile
These daisy-like casual beauties look at home almost anywhere. They supply weeks of color all summer with almost no care. Excellent companion plants, they mingle easily with other natives, phlox, grasses, lilies and tall annuals just to name a few. Besides the native species Echinacea purpurea, there are dozens of hybrids on the market now. With so many choices and colors and forms, it’s bewildering. How do you know what to choose?
If it’s butterflies you want, go native (“species” means an original plant strain, not a hybrid). The straight and improved species tend to be a bit softer in color and taller, but they excel at bringing in the pollinators. If it’s saturated color and shorter, sturdier growth you’re after, then hybrids are for you. The trade-off is that pollinators ignore all but a few of the hybrids. In fact, the new doubles like Milkshake and Butterfly Kisses are so transformed (some would say distorted) that pollination by insects isn’t really possible. Most hybrids are sterile anyway, making for longer flowering but also no self-seeding.
Many gardeners opt for some of each. I like to use short hybrids in front of taller cultivars for a lush, full look, and to vary the heights.
Recommended improved cultivars
Several cultivars (also known as nativars) just improve on their native parentage. Mount Cuba Center in Delaware has done extensive echinacea trials for the Mid-Atlantic Region, the most recent in 2018-2020. It’s not surprising that the top two superstars from the trial are both purpurea-derived. For in-depth information about the trial, visit Mt. Cuba’s website.
The top performers are:
- Echinacea purpurea Pica Bella (pink)
- Echinacea purpurea Fragrant Angel* (white)
An asterisk denotes the most pollinator-friendly; below are more cultivars that also performed admirably.
Recommended hybrids
- Sensation Pink (hot pink)*
- Sante Fe (red-orange)
- Snow Cone (white)
- Postman (pink-coral)
- Glowing Dream (rich pink)*
- Purple Emperor (magenta pink)
- Kismet Intense Orange (orange)
- Sombrero Hot Coral (coral)
- Julia (coral-orange)
Any variety not listed here doesn’t mean you shouldn’t grow it. Just be aware it may or may not be quite as hardy, or its performance was simply average. With new cultivars coming out regularly, it’s hard to keep up! Other possibilities:
- Kim’s Knee High
- Prairie Splendor
- Kismet Raspberry
- Powwow Series (several colors)
Notably, no doubles made the trial recommendation list. Again, my only caution with them is that they do not, or cannot, attract pollinators if that matters to you.
Recommended, improved native
- Echinacea purpurea Magnus* (medium pink). This is an older improved version of the species. Quite tall at 30” – 48” with many flowers up to 4” across. I have found it to be tough, adaptable, and incredibly long-blooming. It takes heat, clay, drought and humidity in stride. If not deadheaded, the cones form seeds that goldfinches adore, and it will likely self-seed modestly. Eventually the blooms fade and tatter, so you’ll want to cut some off before fall. Magnus pairs well with helenium, phlox, grasses, lilies, fleabane, liatris, verbena and daylilies.
- Update 2024 – There is now an improved cultivar called Magnus Superior with deeper pink coloring.
For experienced gardeners with the right conditions:
- Echinacea pallida (pale pink) A tall, delicate-looking native that’s very slow to establish; however, once settled in (give it 3 years), it is tough as nails in well-drained sunny conditions. I don’t recommend it unless you’re establishing a meadow bed, or you can give it tall companions to help support the long stems. It blooms in late June. The flowers are rather fleeting, with radiating petals at first, then drooping to resemble a fringed table lamp. I like that look, but not everyone does. A good companion is fall anemone.
- Echinacea paradoxa A yellow native form, which flowers in June. This plant also needs sunny, well-drained conditions to thrive. Flowers have drooping rays similar to pallida. Best in a meadow-type setting. May flop and stretch in part shade or rainy conditions.
Diseases
Coneflowers are generally robust, healthy plants. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that they can get aster yellows, mildew, leaf rots and mites in their cones, causing contorted growths. Remove and destroy any flowers infected with mites, and destroy the entire plant if it has aster yellows. There are ample references online to aid in identifying these issues.
But none of these concerns should not stop you from growing this amazing perennial. To me, they are indispensible. The plusses outweigh the minuses by a country mile!
Summary
Coneflowers will surprise you with big payback for such a modest investment. I do hope you give them a try. Be aware that if you start them from seed or plugs, they may not bloom or even grow much the first year, while their roots are establishing. Give them full sun and well-drained soil and they’ll reward you for at least several years before dying out. The nativars are the slowest to establish, but also the longest lived.
