The Gardener's Corner
The Rugged Cone Flower
by Judith Rogers

The botanical name Echinacea is derived from the Greek word echinos, meaning hedgehog while the common term of coneflower is fitting for this flower with the raised spiky cone in the centre of the daisy-like petals.

Pale purple coneflower is the native species with drooping pastel mauve petals from which some of the newer cultivars have evolved. As a widely used medicinal herb of the North American Plains Natives the root or root juice was used to treat toothaches, sore throats, snakebites, rabies and blood poisoning. Today we are well aware of the medicinal properties of Echinacea, particularly for sore throats.

A rugged perennial, coneflower has few problems with pests and disease, is long- lived, drought tolerant, flowers from early summer to fall and stands up to summer heat and humidity. They thrive in full sun to partial shade as well as poor soil and dry or windy conditions. Occasionally coneflowers will develop powdery mildew on the leaves towards the end of summer which can be just as evident in dry weather as moist. This can be treated with a weekly organic spray of one part skin milk to nine parts water.

Originally there were only a few purple coneflowers to choose from and 'White Swan' that has snow-white petals. Now with the increasing development of additional cultivars there are coneflowers in a wide array of colours.

'Magnus' is an improved and reliable reddish-purple strain with a bushy habit that was perennial plant of the year in 1998.

'Sundown' is a warm russet-orange with a slight fragrance that grows 75-90 cm tall while 'Sunrise' has rose-scented lemon yellow blooms. My favourite yellow is the 2007 introduction 'Harvest Moon' that is a little shorter at 70 cm and has autumn golden-yellow petals.

'Kim's Knee High' was a new dwarf arrival several years ago that will form a bushy plant of purple flowers 45-60 cm tall. 'After Midnight' is the new dwarf sensation this year with fragrant dark magenta flowers and contrasting deep red cone reaching a height of only 30-45 cm.

There are also the wild and unusual looking varieties like 'Razzmatazz' that is a double with a pink central pom-pom surrounded by magenta petals. It grows 80-90 cm tall and like the rest of the coneflower family will flower longer when deadheaded.

'Double Decker' also known as 'Doppelganger' is a two-tiered rosy-purple plant. On mature flowers which are at least two years old, a second bloom will sprout from the cone of the existing bloom. Because of the oddity of the flower, this variety that grows 90 cm tall is in demand for floral arrangements.

Coneflowers are superb in naturalistic meadow and wildflower gardens but are at home in a traditional flower bed too. They look good when combined with coreopsis, false sunflower, liatris, sedums and ornamental grasses.

Coneflower responds well to pruning to delay bloom or mature at a shorter height. Cut them back by one-half when they are about 75 cm tall (generally early June depending on the weather) which will cause them to flower two to three weeks later than usual and be about 30 cm shorter than unpruned plants.

Butterflies are drawn to the cones of Echinacea and when left with the seed heads on over winter, many birds will benefit from the added food source.