This member of the daisy family can survive being covered in snow and the lowest temperatures in these zones. They are labeled as winter hardy for growing zones 3-9. To ensure your coneflowers will come to life again come spring, you must cut back your flowers and keep up with watering in overly dry winters.Ĭutting back your Echinaceas and watering (only sometimes) seems easy, right? Keep reading as we tell the best time to cut back your Coneflowers and how to care for your plants that are in pots.Įchinaceas are hardy flowers. We did the research to provide you with the best overwintering tips to protect your Echinacea this season.Įchinaceas are hardy perennials that go dormant during the worst of the cold. If you are coming to the end of one of these outstanding blooming seasons, you might be wondering how to protect these beauties in the upcoming winter months. Sign up for our newsletter.Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.Įchinacea, or the coneflower, contain bright flowery heads that you appreciate in the summer bloom. HOW TO GROW ECHINACEA IN POTS Stay Updated! THE EASIEST WAY TO HARVEST ECHINACEA SEEDS Coneflowers are loved by pollinators and are heavily visited by bees, butterflys and birds (eating seeds), making them an important part of the ecosystem. These plants are generally well behaved, and if placed in the correct location look absolutely beautiful. However, common Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea has fibrous roots and can be divided easily.Ĭommon uses of Coneflowers are in manicured flower beds, border gardens, and backyard meadows and micro-prairies. Most Coneflower species have taproots and do not transplant easily. The leaves are lance-shaped, serrated, and large being 6” long by several inches wide in most varieties. The plant itself at full size will reach 2’-3’ in diameter / spacing. There is a very simple trick to stop coneflowers from spreading via self-seeding.Ĭoneflowers produce multiple daisy-like flowers on tall stems that reach 4’ in height. But if you don’t want any volunteer Coneflower Seedlings, then skip to the next section. So, I don’t see the spreading as a concern.Īdditionally, the young tender seedlings can easily be potted up to grow further, and eventually be located somewhere more desirable. The seedlings only take about 5 minutes to remove, as the roots are only 1” long or so (25 mm). And this also only occurs in disturbed/open soil, or mulch. I’ve not seen Coneflowers produce more then 20-30 unwanted seedlings per plant. => Click here to read out guide to growing Coneflowers in Containers! Other notes on Coneflowers spreading See our guide on dividing Perennials for detailed process on dividing perennials HEREĪnd if you don’t want to pull seedlings, why not consider growing Coneflowers in containers? Want to learn how to divide Echinacea? Click HERE! The problem is the central part of the root mass will die, and you will have a void in the center of the plant the following growing season. Once the coneflower root mass approaches this size it should be divided to keep the plant attractive and vigorous. The central root mass of a coneflower will grow in size each year, eventually growing up to 2’ diameter. This is only applicable for common Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea and its hybrids, as they have a fibrous root system. Two Coneflower Plants that grew from seed dropped by the nearby, larger plant. During this process, seeds fall to the ground, and if not eaten by another bird or mouse, may germinate in the following Spring. Goldfinches in particular will land on dried seed heads and pick out seeds. Each bloom produces many seeds, some of which inevitably fall to the ground. The cone produces numerous seeds, while each petal has a seed attached to the base, where it connects to the cone (this is called a ray flower). Each flower has a central cone and petals. So, if you want to see just how much a Coneflower will spread then read on into the details and see some pictures…… How do Coneflowers Spread? Self-seedingĬoneflowers spread by self-seeding. A Coneflower plant may generate multiple seedlings each Spring, and its root mass will grow 1-2′ diameter. But coneflowers don’t take over gardens via roots that spread (rhizomes). So, let me tell you what I’ve learned….Ĭoneflowers spread by self-seeding, as well as growing a larger root mass. I’ve come to know exactly how Coneflowers spread, and the best ways to manage them. Over the years I’ve grown dozens and dozens of Coneflowers of multiple species.
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