Echinacea Growing Guide

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Rich soil with a near neutral pH.

Position

Full sun in cool climates, partial afternoon shade where summers are very hot.

Frost tolerant

Echinacea is a hardy perennial that survives very cold winters. Plants become dormant in winter and re-emerge in spring.

Feeding

Spread rich compost over the dormant plants each winter.

Companions

Echinacea’s purple blossoms contrast well with pink, yellow or orange flowers.

Spacing

Single Plants: 1' 1" (35cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 11" (30cm) with 1' 3" (40cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Start seeds indoors in late winter and set out seedlings, or start with purchased plants. Echinacea often does not bloom reliably until its second year in the garden.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Echinacea is grown for its beautiful flowers and for the medicinal properties of teas and tinctures made from roots, leaves and flowers.

Harvesting

Dig plants in early fall to harvest the roots. Small divisions with skimpy root systems can be replanted and allowed to grow for another year. For enhancing immunity to colds, echinacea tinctures or teas are taken every few hours for several days.

Troubleshooting

It is not known whether or not colorful new varieties of Echinacea have medicinal properties that compare to older strains, which are preferred by butterflies.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Echinacea