Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Echinacea Purple Coneflower
Echinacea Purple Coneflower
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Echinacea purpurea Seeds
If you want to attract butterflies, bees, and birds, Echinacea purpurea is non-negotiable. This majestic North American prairie native produces tall, sturdy stems topped with large, daisy-like flowers. The petals are a rich magenta-purple and hang slightly downwards, revealing a magnificent, coppery-orange central "cone."
It is a plant with serious structural presence that blooms from mid-summer right through to the first frosts. It isn't just beautiful; it's a bustling hub of activity. Butterflies feast on the nectar in summer, and if you leave the seed heads on, Goldfinches will flock to them in winter to eat the seeds.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Echinacea is a robust Hardy Perennial.
It dies back to the ground completely in winter.
The "Sleeping Beauty": Be patient in spring! Echinacea is famous for being a "late riser." It often doesn't show any green shoots until May, long after other perennials have woken up. Don't panic and dig it up thinking it's dead—it's just waiting for the warmth.
Top Tip: It has a deep taproot which makes it very drought tolerant once established, but it hates being moved. Plant it where you want it to stay.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Echinacea is easy from seed but can be slow to start.
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to May. Surface sow onto moist compost and cover with a very fine sprinkling of vermiculite (they need light to germinate). Keep warm (20-24°C). Germination takes 10-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They demand full sun. They thrive in deep, well-drained soil. They love a heavy clay soil as long as it doesn't get waterlogged in winter.
Care While Growing:
Slugs: Protect young seedlings from slugs in spring.
Winter Structure: Do not cut the stems down in autumn! The dried black seed heads look stunning covered in frost and provide essential food for birds.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Echinacea purpurea |
| Common Name | Purple Coneflower |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy Perennial) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 90cm - 120cm (Tall) |
| Spread | ↔️ 50cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 45cm apart |
| Great for | 🦋 Butterflies & Bees 🐦 Bird Food (Seeds) 🌾 Prairie Style ✂️ Cut Flowers |
| Seed Count | Approx. 50 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Echinacea is the star of the "Prairie Border." Pair it with grasses and late-summer daisies:
- 🍯 Rudbeckia 'Marmalade': The Golden Match. Purple and Yellow is a classic complementary colour scheme. The golden daisies of Rudbeckia bloom at the same time and enjoy the same sunny conditions.
- 🌾 Hordeum jubatum (Foxtail Barley): Texture Contrast. The soft, pinkish, silky plumes of the barley grass provide a gentle backdrop to the bold, architectural cones of the Echinacea.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow indoors in spring. Plants establish in Year 1 and flower fully from Year 2 onwards.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||
| Flowers (Yr 2+) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This is a top-tier biodiversity plant. Echinacea purpurea is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list and is one of the most effective plants for attracting butterflies in late summer.
