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Overview
Echinacea purpurea hybrids or the coneflower are attractive perennials that bear lovely daisy-like flowers that come in a wide variety of colours with raised, cone-like centres that are orange brown.
Hybrids are also available in a few form variations like petal shape and angle.
It has an upright habit with dark green basal leaves and red/green stems.
The roots of this plant are edible and are often used in herbal medicine.
Soil: A humus rich soil with good drainage and reliable moisture are best but they will grow in just about anything including poor soils.
It likes full sun, plenty of warmth and can tolerate humidity.
Try to avoid waterlogging, especially in winter - a raised bed is best.
They are drought tolerant but perform best when watered once a week when flowering.
Maintenance: Dead head regularly to encourage prolonged flowering.
Echinacea can be propagated by seed or division in autumn, however its is important to remember that hybrid cultivars will rarely reproduce consistently from seed.
Diseases: Root borers, aphids and cutworms can be an occasional bother.
Some cultivars can be susceptible to powdery mildew or Botrytis but are not fatal. Fungal issues can usually be avoided by ensuring plenty of airflow around the plants..
Other Species: There are nine species in the genus:-
#Echinacea purpurea
# Echinacea angustifolia- narrow-leaf coneflower
# Echinacea pallida - pale purple coneflower
# Echinacea tennesseensis - Tennessee coneflower
# Echinacea paradoxa - yellow coneflower
# Echinacea atrorubens - Topeka purple coneflower
# Echinacea laevigata - smooth purple coneflower
# Echinacea simulata - wavy-leaf purple coneflower
# Echinacea sanguinea- sanguine purple coneflower
Comments: The roots are often used in herbal medicine to treat cold and flu.
Echinacea purpurea became very popular in general cultivation in the 1980s and 1990s after Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' was awarded the 1998 Perennial Plant of the Year award.
The genus name, Echinacea, comes from the Greek "echinos" meaning "hedgehog", referring to the spiny central cone.
Author: Bob Saunders.