Walk around your neighborhood or visit a nearby park and you’re bound to see them. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are staples in Midwest gardens and landscapes and there are good reasons why. Consumers have numerous options for mixing and matching their bright and bold colors in beds, borders and containers. From crisp white to popular purple and red hot red, these herbaceous perennial hybrids put on a reliable flower show year after year.
Sombrero® Salsa Red Coneflower (Echinacea hybrid) – USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 – About 2 feet tall and wide
Strong, Fibrous Roots
A variety of heights and the option to let coneflowers spread or keep them tidy lends versatility to residential gardens, urban spaces and commercial projects. Echinacea self-seeds each spring, which contributes to strong, fibrous roots. Want them to fill in a space? Leave the seed heads up and cut the plant back in late winter. Don’t want them to spread? Deadhead the flowers in-season and right after they fade. Most coneflowers start their bloom in late spring and produce flowers through the end of summer.
PowWow® White Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9 – About 1 to 1½ feet tall and wide
Health & Environmental Benefits
A member of the daisy family, echinacea is a wildflower. It has long been used as an herbal remedy and as an ingredient in modern medicines. In addition to their contributions to human health, coneflowers offer ecological and environmental benefits. Their fibrous tap roots – extending 5 feet deep in some cases! – help stabilize soil and deliver nutrients to nearby plants.
Sombrero® Sangrita Coneflower (Echinacea hybrid) – USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9 – About 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide
Pollinator Magnets
Echinacea also supports local ecosystems by providing food and shelter to wildlife and various pollinators. Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and birds like goldfinches and cardinals find them especially pleasing.
Sombrero® Lemon Yellow Improved Coneflower (Echinacea hybrid) – USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 – About 2 feet tall and wide
Heat & Drought Tolerant
Once established, coneflowers are long lived and have incredible heat and drought tolerance. They are not fussy about maintenance, putting up with a variety of soils and environmental conditions, as well as an average amount of water. If desired, a balanced fertilizer designed for flowering plants can be applied in late spring or early summer. Add compost as a light topdressing to encourage new growth. We recommend dividing echinacea every three to four years.
Sombrero® Adobe Orange Coneflower (Echinacea hybrid) – USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 – About 1½ tall and wide
Coneflower Characteristics
Made up of about 300 fertile florets, echinacea’s cones start out relatively flat and become more pointed as the flower matures. Its leaves are elongated on sturdy, upright stems. Although height varies, coneflower is generally between 2- and 4-feet tall at maturity. They are good choices for planting en masse, in borders and as filler in containers.
PowWow® Wild Berry Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9 – About 1½ feet tall and wide
Companion Plants
Add them to a cutting garden to enjoy the blooms indoors. Good companion plants are bee balm, black-eyed Susan, yarrow and blazing star. Light requirements are part sun to sun. Plant coneflowers in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.
Learn About the Loma Vista Nursery Family and Our Landscape Plants
Visit our plant catalog for information about our coneflower selection and other perennial plants, as well as shrubs and trees that are ideal for Midwest landscapes. Loma Vista Nursery’s staff members are experts in the field. We love helping people learn and understand more about plants. To get answers to plant-related questions, send an email to sales@lomavistanursery.com or call (785) 229-7200.
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