Echinaceas have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to the new trend for prairie-style planting. Known for their use in herbal medicine, these herbaceous perennials have pretty, daisy-like flowers with a central cone, hence their common name, coneflower. They're easy to grow as they tolerate most soils (except very dry ones), and their sturdy stems mean that staking is unnecessary.
Echinacea purpurea, also known as purple coneflower, has pink flowers and a large, orange-brown cone in the centre. It's perfect for growing in drifts towards the middle or back of a cottage-style or herbaceous border, or among grasses and rudbeckias in a prairie-style planting scheme. It's resistant to adverse weather and doesn't need staking. The flowers are long-lived, are excellent for cutting and are extremely attractive to pollinators. There are many cultivars of Echinacea purpurea available, ranging in height, flower colour and size of cone. They include the shorter, dark pink 'Magnus' and the short, pale pink 'Mistra'.
Grow Echinacea purpurea in well-drained soil in full sun. Deadhead the flowers as they fade to encourage more to form, but in autumn leave the seedheads for the birds. Cut them back the following spring, when the new foliage emerges.
Mulch echinaceas with well-rotted manure or compost in autumn. Lift congested clumps in autumn or spring.
