



This was part of my garden last year, coneflowers thriving and popping up everywhere, planted 3-4 years ago. The last photo is the current state- no shoots or leaves starting to show, despite it coming up in other areas of my garden. I know they're not long lived perennials but figured with self seeding etc they would regenerate. Did this happen to anyone else? It's been a colder spring than usual so not sure if they're waiting to grow since this is on the north side of my house.
by Nikeflies

27 Comments
The emergence pattern for me this year is all out of whack. I’m not in your state, but my cone flowers are up but so are my butterfly milkweed which don’t normally come up for another 4 to 6 weeks.
What zone are you in? I’m in 6b and mine took forever this year. They’re only just starting to poke through
I have E purpurea. It is coming up in its area and elsewhere. Mine won’t be blooming until mid to late June. Your image of the flowers is stunning!
My original plant suddenly died this year after three years. Not sure if it was the harsh winter or it was just it’s lifecycle (they only live a few years). Sent off some seeds though and they are popping up.
My coneflowers are all still just green babies and my milk weed is flowering it’s wild I have no idea. But I have seen other native gardens with full on coneflowers already as well
Mine have been up for over a month in zone 6a, I dont think yours survived.
I’m 6a (also have them planted on the north side of my backyard, although it gets plenty of full sun, it’s far back enough) and my coneflowers last year bloomed in late July.
I’ve got thick green leaves/bunches already but as another user commented, my butterfly weed has barely poked through the ground. Weird stuff
Mine came up, but theyre not growing. Theyre just staying a small mound if leaves.
Ive got some stuff blooming early, other things barely growing, while other stuff seems to be taking off… completely out of order.
Mine have lots of leaves no flowers yet.
Hey neighbor, mine are coming up, but only true leaves. Nothing is above 4” with stalks.
I’m in 5b and my cutleaf coneflower (sochan, Rudbeckia laciniata) is going ham! Nothing flowering at all but they’re gangbusters, which is off from previous years.
I’m in 5b, I haven’t seen a single coneflower sprout but my columbine, anise hyssop, clematis, and lupines are all coming back.
my coneflowers are always behind everyone else’s in my neighborhood. maybe because they’re straight natives or maybe it’s my garden having a bit of a micro climate. but this year, they’re so behind just like most things in my garden except the roses. they’re in a similar positions as yours op. they’ve barely emerged from the ground. I’m in central NC. We’ve been having a very cool and severely dry spring so maybe that’s why?
My butterfly milkweed has not reappeared. Coneflowers have though
Still very early
also CT – 6b. my coneflower has not formed shoots yet. just leaves on the ground. I agree with everyone else, there’s been a weird spring that may have not helped them out very much
I posted in a local group last year asking a out mine not coming up and then they came up two weeks later. Give it time.
Most, if not all, of the coneflowers in your picture look to be cultivars and not true natives. My experience is that cultivars are short-lived
6b. Mine were giving me worries too but I’m going to hold steady!
6b checking in. My coneflowers are just tiny leaves peeking through in some places right now. Hoping warmer weather this week gives me a clearer picture of what’s made it through the winter.
Is that not E. Purpurea under the stone?
I’m in Rhode Island 7a and my coneflower leaves are up. No flower buds yet though
My coneflowers already have a bloom!
https://preview.redd.it/f4vg25ospxyg1.jpeg?width=2256&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd6efb44ebef7f245706b1cbc523e4e99ce4a253
I’m in 6b (southwestern PA, so possibly a good bit warmer/less snowy overall) and have some well established coneflowers that started coming up a little while ago. They’re not huge yet by any means, but I’ve got a decent amount of leaves. No buds. We’ve had a few frosts and even a freeze at the end of April, but they’re still holding strong.
Our weather has been quite up down all winter and spring so far. Unsure if yours has been the same, but that may be a factor. I’ve been anxiously waiting to see if and what all comes back this year and when because of that.
The photos of them from last year – so so beautiful! Hope they reappear soon!
When I look at my garden pics from the last few years, it seems like everything is late this spring. My coneflowers are just leaf clumps right now.
my garden is all kinds of fucked up right now (last year it was weird too). its this weird weather. whether its manmade by the secret world order or an unfortunate natural phenomenon I am so tired of it.