plant while in bud in early July, or
when it’s about 3 ft. tall. The plants can
look a bit rough at this point, but
they’ll recover and flower nicely from mid-
August until early October. They grow
about 1 ft. shorter than unpruned plants.
It is interesting to note that, with
either method, some basal shoots
usually will be left below the level at
which the plants are pruned. If this is
the case, these unpruned shoots come
up through the pruned plant and will
flower about 1 week or so sooner than
the pruned stems. Plant height is still
reduced, as these stems naturally seem
to grow to about the height of the
pruned stems. Flowering is still
extended with the pruned stems.
Cutting plants to the ground in early
June will delay flowering until
mid-September, and on 2 1/2-ft. plants,
so all summer flowering is missed if
plants are pruned to the ground.
The pruning advice applies to all
Echinacea purpurea cultivars.
other maintenance This is an
easy-to-grow perennial. Avoid
high-fertility soil, which can lead to
tall, leggy plants that require staking.
Purple coneflower is drought and heat
resistant. It seldom needs division, but
seedlings are best removed in the
spring to control spread. Can attract
beneficial soldier beetles in late
August; be certain not to harm them.
related plantS Echinacea angusti-
folia, narrow-leaved coneflower, sports
a tidy mound of slim basal leaves and
mauve-pink coneflowers on 2 ft. stems.
It possesses exceptional drought
tolerance but requires very sharp
drainage.
Echinacea pallida, pale purple
coneflower, has distinctive flowers
with pastel pink flowers with skinny
ray petals that hang down limply
around a red-orange cone. It tolerates
hot, humid conditions, but needs good
drainage.
Echinacea paradoxa, yellow cone-
flower (zones 5–8), looks more like
Rudbeckia than Echinacea with its
yellow petals and brown cone,
although the shuttlecock shape is pure
coneflower. It can reach 3 ft. and may
require staking.
In recent years, all these native
coneflowers have been incorporated
into various breeding programs to
create a staggering array of new
Echinacea hybrids with different flower
forms and colors. Some of the more
popular and reliable selections include
'Bright Star' (maroon-pink), ‘Pink
Double Delight’, ‘Milkshake’ (double
white and one of the best overall
cultivars), ‘Fragrant Angel’ (white),
‘Sunrise’ (yellow), ‘Red Knee High’
(bright magenta-red, dwarf habit),
‘Marmalade’ (orange), and ‘Hot Papaya’
(red-orange). Many of the new
coneflowers have proved to be difficult
to overwinter and short-lived. Excel-
lent drainage, especially in the winter,
is an absolute must for success. It is
also a good idea to plant coneflowers
in the spring rather than the fall, so
they have time to establish a sturdy
root system before cold weather hits.Echinops ritro
globe thistle
compoSitae
Round blue flower heads; rough, spiny
leaves
3–4 ft. high; 2–3 ft. wide
Full sun
Blooms June–July
Zones 3–8 Echinops ritro