Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the patio, or anywhere else, echinacea is a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing echinacea, also known as coneflower.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Does Echinacea Belong To?
Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) belongs to the Asteraceae family, also known as the daisy family.
Some of its relatives include artichokes, calendula, and dahlias.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Echinacea?
The minimum container size recommended for echinacea is 1-3 gallons.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Echinacea?
Some of echinacea's best companions are as follows:
- Peas
- Beans like green beans
- Lavender
- Catmint
- Catnip
- Fennel
- Dill
- St. John's wort
- Sage
- Calendula
- Sunflower
- Aster
- Zinnia
- Geranium
- Bee balm
- Toothache plant
- Ice plant
- Mullein
- Gaillardia
- Apple
- Cherry
- Peach
- Plum
- Pear
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Echinacea?
Echinacea is not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with echinacea are as follows:
- Marshmallow
- Watercress
What Soil Conditions Does Echinacea Need?
Echinacea prefers sandy or rocky soil that is well-draining.
How Long Does Echinacea Take to Germinate?
Echinacea takes 10-21 days to germinate at a temperature of 65-75°F.
How Much Sun Does Echinacea Need?
Echinacea can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, it grows fastest in full sun. It will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and echinacea grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need more shade.
How Much Water Does Echinacea Need?
Echinacea needs 1 inch of water per week. However, it should be allowed to dry out between watering sessions.
Echinacea is drought-tolerant.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Echinacea?
Echinacea grows fastest in temperatures of 65-80°F.
This is its ideal temperature range. Although it will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some echinacea varieties are bred for late fall harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Does Echinacea Get?
The average height of echinacea is 2-4 feet.
Is Echinacea Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Echinacea is a perennial herb, meaning that it lives for longer than a couple years.
How Does Echinacea Reproduce?
Echinacea reproduces by seed or root division.
How Much Echinacea is Produced Per Plant?
Echinacea produces 1 flowerhead per stalk.
It also produces roots that can be eaten or used in herbal preparations. The amount of roots produced will vary by variety, growing conditions, and other factors.
Can Echinacea Be Ingested?
The entire echinacea plant is edible. This includes the flowers, leaves, stems, and roots.
Echinacea roots and flowers have antiviral, antibacterial, and immunomodulant properties. They can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and tinctures. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for an echinacea tincture.
Please note that echinacea flowers contain many of the same herbal properties as the roots but in less concentrated form. In other words, the roots are more potent.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting echinacea.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of echinacea rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for echinacea here!
Echinacea is featured in these Plant to Plate articles: