Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)
Echinacea purpurea • Asteraceae
🌱 Seed Category
Flower / Herb
🌍 Origin Region
Eastern and central North America; well-adapted to prairies and open woodlands
📅 Days to Maturity
90-120 days from seed to bloom (perennials often bloom in the second year when started from seed); harvest window for flowers is mid-summer to fall.
🌡️ Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-9; hardy herbaceous perennial that dies back to the ground in winter and regrows in spring.
About This Seed
Seeds are small, tan to brownish, wedge-shaped achenes roughly 4-5mm long, often found attached to chaffy scales from the central cone. The plant is a sturdy perennial with coarse, lance-shaped leaves and large composite flowers featuring pinkish-purple ray petals surrounding a spiny orange-brown central disc.
Growing Information
Growing Season
Plant in Spring or late Autumn; frost hardy; start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost or cold stratify for direct sow
Germination
Takes 10-21 days; optimal soil temperature 65-75°F (18-24°C); requires 30-90 days of cold moist stratification for best results as they have physiological dormancy; light helps germination so press lightly into soil.
Planting Instructions
Planting depth: 1/8 inch; spacing: 18-24 inches apart; prefers well-drained loamy soil but adaptable to clay; pH 6.0-7.0; avoid overly wet soil during winter to prevent crown rot.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun (6+ hours) preferred but tolerates partial shade; moderate water until established; high drought tolerance once mature.
Companion Plants
Grows well with Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), Bee Balm (Monarda), ornamental grasses, and Lavender; avoid planting with aggressive groundcovers that might smother the crown.
Special Characteristics
Highly pollinator-friendly (bees and butterflies); goldfinches eat seeds from dried cones; medicinal uses in traditional herbalism; heat and drought tolerant; deer resistant.