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∞•∞ • s ∞•∞ r • ∞•∞ • ∞•∞ • ∞•∞ • flowe e ∞•∞ • ∞•∞ • on Gardener Mississippi for the s coneflower Purple ∞•∞ • C ∞•∞ • e ∞•∞ • ∞•∞ • urpl ∞•∞ • P ∞•∞ • ∞ Purple Coneflowers PurplPurple coneflowers cane really C make onCulturaleflowe Informationrs a statement in the home garden and Purple coneflowers are relatively easy to grow in landscape. The name is derived from our Mississippi gardens and landscapes. Purple coneflowers don’t require much maintenance at all; the beautiful flowers, with their purple in fact, they thrive on neglect. petals and dark center cones. The Planting site selection is an important consideration when growing purple coneflowers. For best flowering foliage color can range from pale to performance, plant in full sun to partial shade. dark green. Purple coneflowers are Once established in the landscape, purple fantastic butterfly-attracting plants. coneflowers are drought-tolerant plants. These flowering perennials prefer a well-drained soil amended with a good quality compost or organic Purple coneflowers are members matter. Planting in berms or raise beds will help water drain away from the crowns. Don’t bury of the Genus Echinacea. Echinacea the crown of the plant below the grade of the is derived from the Greek word surrounding soil. This can lead to crown rot. Growing in large containers is an excellent way to “echinos,” meaning hedgehog, which improve drainage. Be sure to use commercial potting media in containers. refers to the spiny seed heads. Each spring, feed your purple coneflower plants with There are nine species of coneflower a liberal sprinkling of either a balanced, controlled- native to North America. Members release fertilizer or a high-quality compost. Fertilizing or composting will both build a better of this group can be found from soil and feed the plants. Be careful when applying any type of mulching materials. Excess mulch can the Gulf of Mexico to beyond the hold moisture against the crown. When mulching Canadian border. Many evolved in coneflowers, pull the mulch away from the crown after application. the Midwestern prairies and are Deadheading will encourage reblooming well into adapted to the heat and frequent fall and improve the appearance of the planting bed. Leaving any seed heads at the end of the season will droughty conditions. Others evolved provide winter food for birds and some reseeding the in the moist woodlands east of the next year. Mississippi River. 2 Propagation Characteristics Purple coneflowers can be propagated either by division or seed. Division of the crown can be of Echinacea species performed every three to four years. The clumps should be divided in the spring as new growth is emerging. Each crown division should have a shoot and roots attached. native to Purple coneflowers will readily grow from North America seed. A short period (about 30 to 90 days) of cool, moist stratification can help ensure even germination. Sowing coneflower seed in small pots in the fall and leaving the pots outside is an easy way to stratify. When the seedlings have two Narrow-leaf PurPle or three sets of leaves the following spring, they CoNeflower can be transplanted. Echinacea angustifolia Growth habit: up to 2 feet tall, upright FoliaGe: all parts very hairy Purple coneflowers are relatively Flowers: short, light pink to purple petals, profoundly reflexed, bright easy to grow orange and brown centers bloom period: June to July, then @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database @ USDA-NRCS sporadic ain in our Mississippi aLL Native raNGe: prairies from texas gardens and landscapes. to Canadian border Larry K. Compact growth habit, flowers displayed high above foliage toPeka PurPle Smooth PurPle CoNeflower CoNeflower Echinacea atrorubens Echinacea laevigata Growth habit: up to 3 feet tall Growth habit: up 4 feet tall, rosette forming with few leaves FoliaGe: light green, very hairy, coarse Flowers: light pink to light purple, Flowers: lavender to dark purple, dark purple centers, petals reflexed Database thin, fine textured, and strongly S reflexed bloom period: may to June, then ant sporadic CS PL Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Lady Bird Johnson nr , , - a D bloom period: april to June, then for sporadic Native raNGe: local regions in VA, S NC, sC, and Ga on @ USD Native raNGe: small, localized areas S . W.D. Bran W.D. S in oklahoma and Kansas plant is on the Federal endangered Mr species list Peter J.S. 3 Pale PurPle yellow PurPle CoNeflower CoNeflower Echinacea pallida Echinacea paradoxa Growth habit: up to 3 feet tall Growth habit: : up to 3½ feet tall FoliaGe: dark green, smooth margins, FoliaGe: stems and leaves smooth, up to 10 inches long, coarse, very hairy unlike other Echinacea species Flowers: very pale pink, orangey/ Flowers: shades of yellow and brown centers, petals thin and yellow-orange, reflexed petals, large extremely reflexed chocolate brown centers University of Kentucky University of Kentucky , , , , S S bloom period: may to July, then bloom period: June to July, then sporadic sporadic G. Barne G. G. Barne G. S S a a M M Native raNGe: wide areas of the Native raNGe: tX, oK, ar ho ho t t eastern U.s. only Echinacea species with yellow flowers, hence the paradox suggested in the species name eaSterN PurPle CoNeflower SaNguiN PurPle Echinacea purpurea CoNeflower Growth habit: up to 3 feet tall, some Echinacea sanguinea greater than 4 feet Growth habit: up to 3 feet tall, FoliaGe: dark green with coarse, rosette forming xtension Center e serrated margins, up to 8 inches FoliaGe: leaves up to 10 inches long, Flowers: large and daisy-like, light leaves and stems coarsely hairy, stem esearch and r pink to deep magenta, bright orange sways easily centers; many white-flowered, double Coastal flowered, or novelty flowered selections Flowers: light pink, thin, almost frail an, an, M h available University of Kentucky C reflexed petals, dark blood red center , , S . Ba . r bloom period: June through august, bloom period: may to June, then Gary then sporadic Barne G. S sporadic a rare in mississippi M ho Native raNGe: wide areas of the t Native raNGe: coastal plains to the most readily available coneflower eastern Us most southerly species, least cold- western Gulf of mexico in the trade hardy Echinacea wavy leaved teNNeSSee PurPle PurPle CoNeflower CoNeflower Echinacea simulata Echinacea tennesseensis Growth habit: up to 3 feet tall Growth habit: up to 2 feet tall FoliaGe: narrow, dark green, up to 10 inches long FoliaGe: linear, coarse Flowers: drooping pale pink petals Flowers: dark mauve with green-pink nstitution with copper-orange centers centers; petals turn upwards (only i coneflower with this characteristic) bloom period: June to July, then University of Kentucky , , bloom period: June to august, then S sporadic sporadic Native raNGe: IL, MO, KY, tN, NC, AL, Ga courtesy of Smithsonian G. Barne G. , , S S a Native raNGe: three-county area M er M ho t Closely related to e. pallida. only around Nashville, tN plant is on the Federal threatened appreciable difference is color of So P. species list the pollen. ‘simulata’ refers to this plant is on the Federal endangered resemblance. species list Landscape Uses The coneflowers included in this publication can be grown and enjoyed in Mississippi. These plants can be incorporated into the landscape or garden Pests in many ways. Because these coneflowers are native wildflowers in Mississippi, they are at home in Purple coneflowers have few pests, but spittlebugs a naturalized wildflower garden or area. Purple can be a problem in the spring and summer coneflowers can also be part of a more formal when the flower buds are starting to form. More perennial flower border. Because they are are information on insect pests of perennials can be drought tolerant, they would be an excellent choice found in Extension Publication 2369, “Insect in a large container for those who sometimes forget Pests of Perennial Plants In the Home Landscape,” to water. In landscape plantings, good companion available at http://msucares.com/pubs/ plants include ornamental grasses, Autumn Joy publications/p2369.pdf. sedum, rudbeckias, Mexican bush sage (Tagetes lucida), dusty miller or lamb’s ear. Sometimes aster yellows occur in large plantings. Aster yellows is a virus transmitted by leaf hoppers. Although purple coneflowers are native and among Symptoms include mottling of the foliage. The our favorite garden plants we should make a few flowers will start to exhibit a deformation of the concessions in regard to garden and landscape flower buds. Sometimes the plant will outgrow the performance. Think of purple coneflowers in virus the following year. A common control practice Mississippi as short-lived flowering perennials. In is to remove and destroy the infected plants. Never other words, don’t feel guilty if these plants vanish put infested plant material into your compost pile. after a few years. This usually happens due to the cool, damp weather typical of Mississippi winters, which can result in crown rot. This disease is a major problem of purple coneflowers if the soil is too wet. Herbal Planting in raised beds, on a slope, or in containers Supplement Use can help but is not a guarantee of survival. These wonderful plants usually perform and flower There is much interest in using Echinacea in well for up to 12 weeks or longer in the heat and herbal remedies, particularly in those designed humidity of summer, but you may have to replace to boost the immune system. Three of the them eventually. When you do, consider trying some native species, E. augustifolia, E. pallida, and of the new cultivars pictured below. E. purpurea are the primary plants of interest. Anyone considering using Echinacea or any other herbal supplement should consult a health care professional first to avoid possible serious side effects or interactions with prescription drugs. 5 Harvest Moon 6 Sundown New Colors itSaUL PLantS, alpharetta, Ga itSaUL PLantS, alpharetta, Ga through catalogs or online.

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