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Herbaceous Perennial

Echinacea laevigata

smooth coneflower

An attractive, upright, perennial coneflower species native to the Piedmont range, USA, and producing pretty, spider-like blooms from May - August. Flowers have a reddish-brown central cone surrounded by narrow, drooping, 10cm long, pale pink-purple petals. Not particularly suited to landscaping due to each plant only producing one flower but an excellent addition to dry, sandy soil meadows and wildlife gardens, especially for pollinators

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Echinacea are erect, clump-forming rhizomatous perennials with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and solitary, long-stalked daisies with prominent conical central disks and often drooping ray florets; attractive to butterflies
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus rich, well drained soil in full sun. Surface sow onto moist but well drained seed compost and lightly cover with vermiculite. Maintain at a temperature of 20-24C. Germination can be slow and irregular, cold stratify if germination does not occur. Transplant into pots when seedlings are large enough to handle. Take care when propagating by divison or root cuttings as they resent a lot of disturbance

Propagation

Propagate by seed, division in Spring or Autumn or by root cuttings from late Autumn to early Winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Prairie planting
Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead to extend flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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