(Photo Illustration – Backyard Gardener – MetroCreativeConnection – JJ Barrett)
Hello Mid-Ohio Valley Farmers and Gardeners! I hope everyone enjoyed the Mother’s Day weekend. A huge THANK YOU to all the moms out there. You deserve every bit of appreciation for everything you do.
Many Backyard Gardeners purchased a hanging basket of flowers for Mom. However, it can be quite a challenge to keep them looking good through the whole summer. Baskets really need extra care once they have become full and lush. Daily watering is often needed. Both solid baskets and especially moss lined baskets dry out quickly. This is especially true in July and August when temperatures heat up.
When watering, fill the top of the container with water and allow it to drip out of the bottom of the basket each time you apply water. Try to maintain uniform soil moisture. Feel the soil or watch the plants for signs of slight wilting. Frequent severe wilting will definitely impact the health of the plants. Combining slow release with a half strength liquid fertilizer program will insure good looking baskets through the season.
This week I want to talk about the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). This beautiful native flowering plant makes a great addition to the home landscape. It is also an important pollinator for bees, butterflies, and birds.
Purple coneflower has a lot going for it. It is an easy-to-grow perennial, it is considered an attractive flower, a medicinal herb and in addition is heat- and drought-tolerant. Plants form a medium to tall clump of coarse dark-green leaves By midsummer they bloom with large daisy flowers with purple petals surrounding an orange-brown central cone.
This plant’s upright, coarse texture lends itself nicely to mass plantings in naturalized areas or the rear of perennial beds. They have strong, sturdy stems that require no staking, making them popular as low-maintenance perennials in the flower garden, as well as specialty cut flowers. They are also deer resistant.
Purple coneflower is one of our most popular native wildflowers. It can be propagated easily by seeds in the spring or with root cuttings in the fall. You can find potted plants at the local nursery, but you can save a lot of money by growing your own transplants from seed.
There are nine species native to North America. Although mainly found in the Midwest Prairie states, several species are native to West Virginia.
Coneflowers get their common name from the central portion of the flower known as the disk. The brown-to-black disk area is made up of many small individual flowers. This grouping of disk flowers in the center is cone-shaped, appears spiney, and can be raised or columnar in shape.
The outer portion of the flowerhead is referred to as the “petals” and is actually made up of numerous small ray flowers, with each containing a long strap-like petal.
Echinacea or purple coneflower has been used for centuries as an important medicinal herb. Extracts from its roots are used to strengthen the immune system, and its essential oils are claimed to be insecticidal and bactericidal.
Echinacea was one of the most widely used medicinal plants by Native American tribes in the Midwest Plains. It was used for treating more illnesses than any other plant. Samples of echinacea excavated from Native American archaeological digs date back 300 to 400 years.
Purple coneflower grows best in full sun with well-drained soils. It tolerates hot and dry conditions well. Purple coneflower grows 1.5 to 3 feet tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide and is winter hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Plants have a big flush of bloom in early summer and will consistently bloom until the first frost.
Purple coneflower is very hardy and drought tolerant. It will provide gorgeous blooms all summer with a little elbow grease. Deadheading faded flowers regularly will greatly increase the blooming period. Once established, plants are drought tolerant, but it is critical to choose a raised bed or well drained area.
Plants can get overcrowded, so purple coneflower will benefit from dividing clumps every four to six years to keep plants vigorous. Remember, plants will not tolerate wetness and can develop crown rot.
Coneflowers often freely reseed in the garden, so leaving seed heads in fall will promote reseeding of plants and provide winter food for birds. Goldfinches and other birds enjoy the seed found in the dried black center part of the flower. Spent flowers will stand through winter.
Plant blooms often droop down in an attractive way and can be used for flower arrangements. They are a magnet for butterflies. Many cultivars are available in a variety of colors including yellow, red, orange, and white.
Plants can reach a height of up to 4 feet and will bloom from mid-summer till frost. Keep plant spacing at least 24 inches to reduce any disease problems.
Purple coneflower are subject to pest problems. These include stem rots, powdery mildew, anthracnose in addition to damage from aphids, Japanese beetles, and eriophyid mites. Plants are hardy and resulting symptoms are usually mild. Cultural practices such as proper plant spacing, well-drained soils, and good sanitation by removing plant debris will reduce pest issues.
There are many varieties of Echinacea purpurea available. “Kim’s Knee High” is a short and compact variety reaching 12 to 18 inches tall with purple-rose colored flowers. “Magnus” is a tall plant with rose-pink flowers and “Ruby Star” and “Bright Star” are tall with crimson-rose colored flowers. If you want white petals try “White Swan.”
There are hybrid varieties of E. purpurea and E. paradoxa called the “Big Sky” series available in many colors. Many are currently under evaluation at the University of Georgia. “Big Sky Sunrise” has yellow flowers and “Big Sky Summer Sky” has soft peach flowers with a rose halo.
I wanted to include some interesting research on pollinator plants conducted by Dr. Annie White at the University of Vermont. Her studies have revealed that the more manipulated the varieties become, the less attractive they become to pollinators. Therefore, if considering native cultivars for use in a pollinator garden, select open pollinated grown seeds or plants.
Contact me with questions at the WVU Extension Office at 304-424-1960 or at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu. Good Luck and Happy Gardening!