Are you growing echinacea in your flower garden yet? If not, you should! Learn how to grow purple coneflowers in fall with these simple tips.
Purple coneflowers, also known as echinacea purpurea, are herbaceous flowering native plants from eastern and central North America. It is a popular garden plant, known for its attractive, bright purple flowers and medicinal properties.
Hardy to zones 3-8, the purple coneflower generally grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet on tall stems depending on the variety. Its distinctive flowers have a cone-shaped center that is surrounded by petals that droop downward.
The flowers bloom in early summer into fall while attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Purple coneflowers require at least six hours of sun each day to thrive but can handle spots with partial shade too depending on your hardiness zone and if they are well-established.
When planting them in fall, choose a location with moist, loamy, well-drained soil that has neutral acidity.
Water newly planted purple coneflowers regularly until they become established. And don't fertilize them. Focus on good soil quality instead.
Deadheading spent flowers regularly will encourage the plant to produce more blooms, look tidy and prevent self-seeding. And divide the plant every few years to maintain its vigor and blooms.
Follow along to learn more about growing purple coneflowers.