There’s nothing quite like the commanding presence of late Summer perennials, especially the familiar rainbow of blooms of Echinacea!

Part of the Aster family Asteraceae, coneflowers are incredibly easy and carefree plants for adding bright color to the garden, requiring little additional care once established. No matter the color you have in mind, there’s likely a coneflower out there for you.

Echinacea prefer to be planted in well-draining, dry to moderately moist soil in areas of full sun, requiring little water once established in the garden. Coneflower range in size from roughly 18-36" tall and 12-24" wide depending on the variety, and will bloom from early Summer through Fall. Spent blooms may be deadheaded to encourage reblooming, however many modern varieties will continue to bloom without any additional care.

Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) is the only coneflower native to Minnesota, while numerous cultivars of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are important North American native perennials.

A smaller species, narrow-leaved coneflower matures to 18-24" tall & wide with coarse leaves and soft pink-purple blooms. They bloom abundantly from early summer through mid-summer, with great drought tolerance once established.

Narrow-leaved coneflower is a fantastic native for low sunny borders, water-wise designs, and boulevard plantings thanks to their compact stature. Their flowers are also a wonderful treat for pollinators like bees and butterflies. If left to self-seed, they will provide Winter interest as well as a food source for songbirds throughout the cold Winter months.

Coneflowers pair well with most any sun-loving plant, but they are stunning all on their own, too. If you’re looking for some easy, quick plant pairing, here are some to try:

Ninebarks: Plant as the backdrop to coneflowers and enjoy the show. The brilliant blooms of coneflowers against the deep foliage color of Ninebarks makes them pop even more than they already do.

Grasses: Any upright grass is a great match for coneflowers. Karl Foerster Feather Reed grass in particular is a perfect pairing with its upright growth habit and wheat-like plumes in Fall.

Salvia: Salvia also love full sun, and the flower spires of Salvia pair well with the flat, open shape of coneflowers.

Nepeta: Also known as Catmint, the wild and wooly look of Nepeta provides a nice contrast to the more robust and upright growth habit of Coneflowers.

Add one or a few to any Sunny garden for happy blooms mid-Summer through Fall.

If you would like assistance picking out or caring for echinacea, feel free to stop in and ask! Otherwise, email us at hello@tonkadale.com - we're here to help!