Echinacea

( ek - in - NAY - shee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering perennials, also called Coneflowers, does best in full sun and needs moderate to regular waterings for best performance. The flowers will attract a bevy of bees and butterflies to your garden. These are hardy plants, with daisy-like slightly fragrant flowers around a raised, dome-shaped center of green foliage. They bloom over a long season in late spring and summer. Coneflower does great on the outskirts of gardens, and is also excellent in pots. Cut blooms are happy additions to fresh flower arrangements, as well.

Echinacea Species and Varietals

The genus Echinacea is a member of the plant family Asteraceae and includes ten species. The genus name is derived from the Greek word 'echinos' (meaning sea urchin or hedgehog). Coneflower grows best in zones A2, A3 and 1-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Echinacea angustifolia (Narrow-Leaved Purple Coneflower, Blacksamson Echinacea)
This perennial species is native to North America and produces flowers with pink to deep purple rays and green to reddish-brown centers. This species grows slowly and is drought-tolerant. These can make great garden plants, able to be grown in gravel or regular garden soil as long as there is adequate spacing provided.

Echinacea atrorubens (Topeka Purple Coneflower)
This species is native to Kansas, Oklahoma and eastern Texas, where it is found growing in dry soils in prairies and outcroppings. These plants reach 3 feet tall and have hairy stems and foliage. Flowers are purple to pink or white, and bloom in late springtime. Flower centers are orange-red to brown. 
Echinacea hybrids
These Coneflower varieties have a wide color range, and are considered hardy. Selections are outlined below.
'Green Envy'
Fragrant, lime-green blooms that take on a pink hue as they mature. The center cone will also fade to purple with age. Gets 2-3 feet tall. 
'Mango Meadowbrite'
Gets to 2-3 feet tall and wide, with orange-yellow flowers that have brownish centers. 
'Orange Meadowbrite'
('Art's Pride')
Grows to 2-3 feet tall and wide, with reddish-orange flowers. 
'Pixie Meadowbrite'
Grows to 1.5 feet tall and a little wider, with pink petals surrounding a yellowish-brown center.
'Tomato Soup'
This variety has bright red flowers on a 2-foot tall plant.
'Tiki Torch'
Bright orange to rose blooms; 2.5 feet tall.
'Sunrise' 
Part of the Big Sky Series, to 2-3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Butter-yellow blooms.
'Sunset'
Bright orange flowers on a 2-3 foot tall, 2-foot wide plant. Part of the Big Sky Series.
'Sundown' ('Evan Saul')
A member of the Big Sky Series, grows to 2-3 feet tall and 2 feet wide with reddish-orange flowers.

Echinacea laevigata (Smooth Purple Coneflower)
These flowers are native to the East Coast of the United States from New York through Alabama, and are commonly found in open areas or along roadways in disturbed soils. Petals droop down from flower heads, and are commonly pink to purplish. Blooms occur May through July in the plant's native range.

Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)
This species of herbaceous perennial flowers is native to the central United States up to central Canada, and reach up to 2.5 feet tall at maturity. Stems can sometimes be mottled with purple markings and foliage is green. Flowers are light pink-purple with green to reddish centers.

Echinacea paradoxa (Yellow Coneflower, Bush's Purple Coneflower, Ozark Coneflower)
This species of Coneflower is native to southern Missouri, Arkansas (where it is considered a threatened species), and south-central Oklahoma. These flowers reach 3 feet tall and produce yellow, white, or pink flowers with raised brownish-green to black centers. 
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower, Eastern Coneflower, Hedgehog Coneflower, Echinacea)
This variable species forms a 2-foot wide foliage clump that sprouts 3-4 foot tall flower stems topped with showy rose-purple flowers. Center cone is orange-brown and looks a little like a beehive. Large seed heads that follow flowers are bird favorites. Varieties are outlined below.
'Coconut Lime'
Double-flowering variety with large white petals topped with smaller green petals around the center cone. 2-3 feet tall.
'Double Decker' ('Doppelganger')
​2-foot tall variety has a second set of petals that emerge from the top of the cone. 
'Fragrant Angel'
This 2.5 foot tall variety has white flowers that have a sweet scent. 
'Kim's Knee-High'
Gets to 2 feet tall, and has pink flowers. 
'Magnus'
3-4 foot tall variety with purple-pink, orange-centered flowers that reach up to 7 inches wide. 
'Pink Poodle'
Double-pink flowers. 
'Rubinstern' ('Ruby Star')
2-3 feet tall with red flowers.
'White Lustre'
2.5 feet tall with white flowers with orange-yellow cones.
'White Swan'
White flowers around orange-yellow cones, grows to 1.5-2 feet tall.

Echinacea sanguinea (Sanguine Purple Coneflower)
Native to open sandy fields and wooded areas in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, Louisiana, and southwestern Arkansas. Blooms are commonly rose-pink to pale purple in color, and have raised centers that are dark purple-brown. Petals can be very thin and delicate. 

Echinacea simulata (Wavy Leaf Purple Coneflower, Glade Coneflower, Prairie Purple Coneflower)
​These perennials are native to the southeastern United States and reach 3.3 feet tall when in bloom. Flowers are light purple to pink, petals sometimes darkening towards their bases. Stems are green or mottled with purple. Blooms appear in late spring through the middle of summer in this plant's native range.

​Echinacea tennesseensis 'Rocky Top' (Tennessee Coneflower, Tennessee Purple Coneflower)
This species has narrow leaves that form a 2 foot high and just as wide mound of foliage, from which flower stems rise. Blooms are 2-3 inches across and are pink and bend upward. Center cone is greenish black.

Caring for Echinacea

These flowers do well in summer heat, and spread slowly. Clumps will need to be divided every 3-4 years, and can be difficult to separate. 

Propagation

Make sure each root clump has a shoot and roots. Can be propagated by division, taking root cuttings, from seed, or transplanting volunteer seedlings. 

Problems and Pests

Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A field of thea sinensis
Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

A video all about growing camellias successfully
Propagating camellias

Resources

Wikipedia: Echinacea
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 296, Echinacea
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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