Echinacea

Does anyone grow this? I planted some months ago and its only just managed to get two full sized leaves. I'm wondering if it just grows slowly or if its unhappy. I've tried it in various locations but its still not doing much.

Thanks,
Charlotte

 

I have grown some the last two years, last year they hardly grew at all, this year the seeds sown in late march have now grown enough to produce flower buds. Why this variation in growth I don't know, just persevere with them it is still early days.

 

Lovely old 'cottage' favorite.

Once established in the garden it sets seed quite freely. I've a couple that turned up in a seed tray full of compost and they are now outside and in flower. The self set ones in the garden are still on the basal rosette but with warm damp weather they will soon shoot up, Bees and butterflys love 'em.

At the end of autumn when you pull them up give them a shake to release more seed on the garden for next year, you should never need to buy seed again and they make a great raft purple raft with individual plants in shades of white and pink as well.

 

I must admit i struggled getting echinacea to grow and if you are not carefull teh slugs will eat it as fast as it grows but once established it will be fine...I take echinacea every winter from september to march and havnt had a cold or flu for 7 years now,. its an amazing plant ..

tips....

The central cone or flower-head of the echinacea is actually composed of hundreds of tiny individual flowers. Native Americans used the plant particularly for snake bites and stings. Research indicates it's also effective for healing wounds and reducing inflammation.

After flowering, the blooms make attractive seed heads which can be left over winter to feed the birds. Their long-lived flowers are excellent for cutting.

Recommended varieties
There's a limited number of species and varieties of echinacea.

E. purpurea: standing smartly upright and nearly head high, it has a golden-brown eye or cone and purplish-red rays.
E. purpurea 'Green Edge': a white variety with green-edged petals. In general, the white ones tend to grow a little shorter than the pinks, to around 80cm (32in) rather than 1m (3ft) high.
E. purpurea 'Magnus', one of the most widely available cultivars, has a dark orange cone surrounded by purple-pink petals which tend to remain horizontal (those of E. purpurea, for example, tend to bend back).
E. purpurea 'Robert Bloom': has crimson-mauve rays surrounding the orange-brown cone.
E. purpurea 'Rubinstern': regarded by many as the best coneflower, it has large ruby-red flowers from August to October, slightly later than some varieties. The sturdy stems don't need staking.
E. purpurea 'White Lustre': an attractive mix of creamy white rays and bright orange-brown cones.
E. purpurea 'White Swan': one of the smallest coneflowers at just 60cm (2ft high), it has ivory-white flowers that contrast strongly with the orange-brown cone in the centre.
Growing tips
Site and soil preferences
Echinacea plants need full sun. While good, fertile loam is ideal, any decent soil is OK. Otherwise, they need very little care and, being sturdy, no staking.

Planting associations
Try them with ornamental grasses, such as Deschampsia cespitosa and Panicum virgatum. Echinaceas mix well with blue echinops and perovskia, or pink persicarias.

Propagation
Plants can be propagated through division, by taking cuttings of young shoots in spring, or by sowing seed. Unlike other plants, the seed from named varieties will produce plants that replicate the parents.

Problem solver
Coneflowers are long-lived and resistant to pests and diseases, but older plants can die for no apparent reason. Occasionally take cuttings as a precaution.

 

Thanks I'll just keep doing what Im doing then. I'm growing it because I use it medicinally. The root is much more effective but I think I'll spare my little plants

 

well it doesnt grow very fast till it gets established but its a lovely addition to the herb garden

 

It is a bit slow to clump up. But it will get there. I have grown about six or more different red varieties. but really they all look the same. The only two I have that do look a bit different are 'Robert Bloom' and 'Rubinstern' as wyldeflower says. And I would rate them highest.

The books say they tolerate drought, but mine have not been told that. When it gets too dry they bend over almost double, but always recover with water. Overall one of my favorite plants.

 

I haven't had much luck with my Echinaceas, I have found them very difficult.