![]() However, if you seeded them in the soil in the Fall, the probability of germination would be higher. Depending upon weather conditions for the next few weeks, it’s possible that they might germinate. If you have a small section in your garden that can be used, you could easily prepare the soil and ‘sprinkle’ the seeds now. Others have had success without doing so (see: here.). Some sources recommend cold-stratification for at least 4 weeks (keeping the seeds in a moist, cold condition). ![]() If one sprinkled the seeds over a section of ‘prepared soil’ outdoors (March/April), some might germinate this spring due to the moisture in the soil (which is still cold and partly frozen), and the continuing fluctuating temperatures that we are experiencing now. Growing Echinacea purpurea from seed is relatively simple if the conditions allow the seeds to germinate. You ask how you can use the remaining seeds to grow more plants. It is recommended that seed heads remain on the plants throughout the winter months to provide food for birds. Your purple coneflower plants ( Echinacea purpurea) still have seeds on their seed heads that have remained over the winter. In commercial use, Echinacea roots are harvested after 3 – 4 years of growth as a medicinal herb, although the entire plant can be dried and used in teas.Įchinacea is a marvelous perennial to add to your landscape! It’s one of the top suggested flowers to grow for attracting butterflies to the garden.Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners. Today, Echinacea is reported to improve the body’s immune system, and it’s used in treating respiratory illnesses, as an anti-inflammatory and in treating wounds. Extra fertilizer is not needed if organic mulches are added each year to the base of the Echinacea clump.Ĭonsidered to be a medicinal herb, Purple Coneflower was widely used by the American Indians as a remedy for illnesses and snake bites. Echinacea does not compete well with weeds, so weeds must be kept cut down, and mulching around the base of the plants with organic matter will help suppress weeds. Echinacea plants should be divided every few years to keep them blooming well. Propagation from root cuttings is also reliable when done in the fall.Ĭoneflower care includes deadheading the spent flowers to promote additional blooms however, leaving the flowers to dry will also attract songbirds to eat the dried seeds in the winter. Keep the seeds moist, and with an optimal temperature of 70°-75☏, germination is usually within 2 – 4 weeks. Lightly rake the seeds into the soil, covering the seed with no more than 1/8 inch of soil. In a prepared seedbed that is weed free, broadcast Echinacea seeds at a rate of 12 pounds per acre. ![]() How to Grow Echinacea from flower seed: Commercial growers recommend a pretreatment of cold/moist stratification for 30 – 90 days prior to planting Echinacea seeds in the spring after frost season has passed. Echinacea is great for cutting with a long vase-life of 5 – 7 days. There bloom season is long, lasting much of the summer and into the fall. The flowers are arranged individually on long, sturdy stems, and the foliage is simple, lance-shaped and slightly rough. The name comes from the Greek word ‘echinos’ which means hedgehog and refers to the spiny cone. The flowers are aromatic, daisy-like with slightly drooping petals and normally in shades of lavender and purple (although some cultivars are red, white and yellow) with an iridescent orange-red-brown, coned center. Echinacea will enhance any flower border or garden, and it’s lovely when grown in meadows and naturalized settings.
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