Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial plant that can grow 50cm – 1.5m tall and 10cm – 50cm wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

This plant has several common names including: purple coneflower, black samson, hedgehog coneflower, purple daisy or eastern purple coneflower.

This is a deciduous plant that takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity.

Plant profile

Common name: purple coneflower, black samson, hedgehog coneflower, purple daisy, eastern purple coneflower
Scientific name: Echinacea purpurea
Plant type: Perennials
Habit: Clump-forming
Height: 50cm – 1.5m
Spread: 10cm – 50cm
Foliage: Deciduous
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial shade
Soil: Chalk, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Informal Garden, Wildflower meadow, Wildlife Gardens
Planting type: Cut Flowers, Flower borders and bedding
Other characteristics: Plants for pollinators

Seasonal colors

How to plant Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Jg44.89, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Perennial plants are one of the largest groups of plants.

They offer color, shape, fragrance and seasonal textures. The variety is such that there are plants to suit all sizes and styles of garden.

Traditionally, perennials are grown in borders, using a wall or hedge as a backdrop to bring out all their splendor during summer.

But since most gardens are not large enough for long borders dedicated exclusively to perennials, they are usually planted in mixed borders and beds, along with shrubs, annuals, biennials, and bulbs that extend the season of interest.

How to plant

In this section we will learn how to plant Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.

Soil

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is not a demanding plant regarding the type of soil and can grow in chalk, loam or sand.

• The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline.

• The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.

• Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.

It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.

Regarding drainage, Echinacea purpurea likes to grow in well drained soil.

Sunlight

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a plant that should be grown in full sun or partial shade positions.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons