The flower requires over six hours of sun daily and needs well-drained and neutral to slightly acidic soil.
Purple Coneflower Care
Here are the main care requirements for growing a purple coneflower.
They can thrive in a variety of soil types, including sandy, rocky, and clay soils.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
However, they do not like wet or mucky soil.
Second-year and older plants may only need watering during droughts.
Adding compost each spring usually gives them the nutrition they need for healthy foliage and blooms.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Types of Purple Coneflower
Here are some popular purple coneflower and other echinacea cultivars.
Pruning Purple Coneflower
Pruning purple coneflower is helpful, but not imperative.
However, deadheading is the primary maintenance for coneflowers.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Propagating Purple Coneflower
Coneflowers grow well from seed and can be divided to make new plants.
Stem cuttings are not the most successful or recommended way to propagate purple coneflower.
Divide in the fall or winter, after the plant has finished flowering.
However, once established, coneflowers are rugged and hardy.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
For the most part, coneflowers have very few problems.
A few pests enjoy coneflowers, so watch forJapanese beetles,aphids, and leafhoppers.
They may take a break after their initial bloom period but they will quickly set more flower buds.
Flowers start blooming from the top of the stem, and each flower remains in bloom for several weeks.
As the initial flower fades, more side shoots and buds will form along the stem.
What Do Purple Coneflowers Look and Smell Like?
Some purple coneflowers may have a sweet fragrance while others do not.
How to Encourage More Blooms
Keep the plants deadheaded, and you’ll keep getting more flowers.
The process will also help prevent an overabundance of self-seeding from the plant.
Simply cut them back and let them fill in on their own.
Plant Turning Black
Coneflowers prefer dry environments.
Blackened parts of stems, leaves, or blossoms of coneflowers indicate overwatering.
Remove damaged plants and let the soil dry out to see if that helps matters.
TheEchinacea purpureaplant grows best in full or partial sun.
Give the plant at least six hours of sun a day.
Keep your purple coneflowers blooming by deadheading them as they fade.
Echinacea purpureaspreads because it is naturally self-seeding, but only if you do not deadhead the blooms.
Echinacea.Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center.
Aster Yellows.Missouri Botanical Garden.
Pest Alert: Bacterial Leaf Spot.North Carolina State Extension.
