Coneflowers, or echinacea as they're also known, are a familiar sight with their large, plum purple and dusky pink daisy-like flowers blooming from July to October. They are the stars of the show in any prairie-style planting scheme and wild flower meadows, especially as they're natives of North America. Their natural glamour and nectar-rich flowers are a welcome addition to herbaceous borders.
The petals burst open in spectacular stars then droop downwards into a shuttlecock shape as summer stretches on. These vivid flowers will see you right through the summer season and up to the first touch of frost. Even then the sculptural seed heads will add pleasing shapes to your flowerbed ideas.
No wonder they are among the best perennials out there. Plant breeders have been hard at work, delivering a wider range of newer colors including shades of lime green, tangerine, apricot and mango. There are now tufty-looking double blooms and compact cultivars such as pink ‘Kim’s Knee High’ that work well in smaller spaces and containers.
There are also marbled ones like ‘Art’s Pride’ that mix pink and orange in a flamboyant color show. There are so many coneflower varieties , you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to understanding how to grow coneflower. Echinacea 'Art's Pride' is a lovely shade of tangerine Growing habits of coneflowers Echinacea is a hardy perennial that survives very cold winters.
Plants become dormant in winter and re-emerge in spring, when you should c.