Echinacea (Coneflower)

Category: medicinal-herbs

Growing

  • 📍 Zone: 3-9
  • 🌞 Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • 💧 Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
  • 🌱 Soil: Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil; tolerates poor soils

Planting

  • 📏 Height: 2-5 feet
  • 📏 Spacing: 12-24 inches apart
  • 📅 When To Plant: Spring after last frost or fall in mild climates
  • 🌱 Propagation: Seeds, division of clumps in spring or fall, or root cuttings
  • ⬇️ Depth: Seeds should be lightly covered (~1/8 inch)
  • 🤝 Companion:
    • 0: Lavender
    • 1: Yarrow
    • 2: Black-eyed Susan
    • 3: Bee balm
  • 🚫 Avoid Planting Near:

    Care & Maintenance

    • ✂️ Pruning: Deadhead to extend blooming season; cut back stems in late fall or early spring
    • 🪢 Staking Or Support: Generally not needed, though taller varieties may benefit from support in windy areas
    • ❄️ Overwintering: Cut back dead stems in fall or leave for winter interest and wildlife; hardy in its zones

    Harvesting & Usage

    • ⏰ When To Harvest: Harvest roots in the fall of the plant’s second or third year; harvest flowers and leaves during bloom
    • ✋ How To Harvest: Dig up roots carefully; snip flowers and leaves with clean shears
    • 🥫 Preservation: Dry roots, flowers, and leaves in a warm, airy place and store in sealed containers away from light
    • ⚠️ Edible Or Toxic: Non-toxic; generally safe when consumed in moderate medicinal doses
    • 🍴 Culinary: Not commonly used in cooking; sometimes included in herbal teas
    • 💊 Medicinal: Supports immune system health, may reduce severity and duration of colds; anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties; used in tinctures, teas, and salves
    • 🌸 Aromatic: Mildly aromatic when crushed; not strongly fragrant

    Ecological Info

    • 🐝 Pollinators:
      • 0: Bees
      • 1: Butterflies
      • 2: Other beneficial insects
    • 🦌 Wildlife Resistance: Resistant to deer and rabbits