“Magnus” is one type of coneflower that is hardy to zone 3 (northern Maine/Canada).Coneflowers are native to the prairies of the United States and Canada.Give coneflowers enough light, water and time, and you’ll look like you have a green thumb even if you kill plastic plants.Ĭoneflowers: A Few Facts about Echineacea or Purple Coneflowers If you do collect and store seeds, store them in envelopes or paper sacks, nice and dry, in a dark, cool location.Īs you can see from my pictures here, in just a few short years, a little invested into the purchase of good quality seeds can yield a beautiful garden. Seeds can be collected in the fall or after the seed head dries out. You can use Echinacea as a cut flower, a border plant, a cottage garden flower or as part of a butterfly garden flower. Their deep tap root doesn’t like to be disturbed and may need several weeks or months to recover from transplanting. Try to do this early in the spring and water the plants well after transplanting. You can translate the volunteers, or self-seeded plants, if they grow in areas where you don’t want them. Their native habitat is prairies and meadows if you can recreate that type of atmosphere for your coneflowers, they’ll reward you with abundant blooms.Ĭoneflower doesn’t need to be divided like other perennials.
#TRANSPLANTING PURPLE CONEFLOWER FULL#
They prefer full sun but will also tolerate partial shade. Once the plants have several sets of leaves, they can be moved outdoors.Ĭoneflower prefer a light, loamy soil, but will do just fine in clay if given time to extend their deep tap roots into the earth. Use a sterile seed starting mixture and a dome to maintain humidity. I start my coneflower indoors, under the plant lights, approximately six to eight weeks before the last frost date.
#TRANSPLANTING PURPLE CONEFLOWER HOW TO#
Growing Coneflowers How to Grow ConeflowerĬoneflower is easy to start from seed. I think coneflower is one of the easiest plants to grow, and with just a little care and luck, you can fill a flower garden with their cheerful blossoms. Over the years, it has reseeded abundantly, producing many plants that have filled the bed with flowers. I originally planted a border of coneflower around the island bed in the center of the lawn, but the coneflower had other ideas. Goldfinches seem particularly fond of it. The birds also love to perch on the tall, rocket-shaped spires and nibble at the seeds. The butterflies love it, so it adds to my butterfly gardens.
As a native perennial plant, it thrives in the local conditions. Growing coneflowers is easy in most gardens.Ĭoneflower loves the hot, dry weather here in south central Virginia. Every coneflower in my garden came from that little seed collection planted years ago.