Several years ago I planted both black eyed susan and purple coneflower. The black eyed susan has multiplied and been divided twice. The coneflower does not multiply but comes back each year. I was expecting my purple cone to do the same as the black eyed susan. Can anyone help me?
purple coneflower
My purple coneflowers don't grow that fast, but they do self-seed prolifically. Keep an eye out in the spring for the new seedlings growing near the main plant.
They are two completely species. Coneflowers are Echinacea varieties and black-eyed susans are Rudbeckia species. Coneflowers will self-seed easily, as threegardeners mentioned, so just keep a lookout for the seedlings. Even first-year seedlings have large leaves of the same type and will bloom the first year, especially in North Carolina. It is possible that the goldfinches and other birds are eating all, or most, of the coneflower seeds! They do prefer them over black-eyed susans.
I have had a clump of echinacea for about 8 or 10 years. It spreads very little and never reseeds. The goldfinches pretty much clean out the seedheads.
I wintersowed some new ones last year and ended up with 6 seedlings. They looked good and healthy all summer, even in our drought, so I'm hopeful that they'll survive winter and I get to see them in bloom this summer. Those coneflowers are my toughest plant.
This is a picture of my old one, taken last summer.
Karen
My purple coneflowers, grow like mad, they aren't even in full sun, and they reseed all over the place, I literally pull them and throw them into the woods every year. It's one of my worst invasives for me, if I didn't need the room for other plants besides them i'd let them grow becuase I do love them so much.
I think the reseeding for echinaceas depends on the variety or cultivar.
The old fashioned echinacea purpureas tend to reseed or produce seeds that you can resow.
But these new echinacea hybrids offered in the catalogs, for example the 'Big Sky' series, are often sterile.
tis true, I have my purpureas by themselves, and all the others are half an acre away, I do get some reseeding with them, one last year turned out to be white swan, the others may bloom this year, but their all named varieties that have been cloned, I don't know if white swan is one of them, I often do get white flowers out of those seedlings.
everything else so far has reseeded pink, of the doppledanger, kims knee high, mango meadowbrite, sparkler, and several others, my big sky series are all new last fall, no seedlings from them coming up this year.
Thank you all so much. I have learned alot.
Can you tell me if there is a way to help my cone reseed?
Hilburng
The best way is to gather the seeds before the critters get them and then plant them in the spring. Somewhere safe and secure :))
You can wintersow them- outside in winter, in covered containers like milk jugs. My germination wasn't teriffic, but I did get 6 seedlings which looked very healthy all summer.
Tom Clothier says sow @ 68 degrees F, if no germination in 3 to 4 weeks, move to 24 to 39 F for 2 to 4 weeks.
Karen
I planted 10 seeds in peat pots under lights and now all of them have germinated. This one is Echinacea 'Starlight' from Renee's Seeds.
I also Wintersowed (as kqcrna described) E. 'Magnus'. It is still too early for germination outdoors, but I understand 'Magnus' is very dependable and also a Butterfly and Hummingbird favorite. These seeds are from Parks.
Hi; I just let my flowers go to seed. Some the birds get. And all the seeds that are left behind take.
I planted three small coneflowers two years ago near my central air unit. I hardly ever pay attention to them and boy did they reseed from year 1 to year 2. It was amazing. Of course this area is in a bit of shade but the dryer vent is just above it. Your probelm must have to do with birds and other things taking the seeds. You could always purchase some seed or go to a master garderner sale and get some fairly cheap that have been started.
Hilburng,
If you need some echinacea seeds to plant I will share my stash with you, I saved mine from last year. I don't have a lot, but I can spare some for a SASBE. Let me know if you would like some.
Kathy
kqcrna (Karen),
Your garden photo was just what I needed. I live in zone 4 and found my first returning perennial (Lady's Mantle) this morning. I have ordered 4 Echinaceas this year for the first time--2 purples and 2 harvest moons. I hope they turn out half as good as yours.
hi hilburng! Just returned from Greenville..DD at ECU...Go pirates:-)
Are you mulching underneath your coneflowers? I found that I was doing one of two things that kept my purple cones from reseeding. Mulching too diligently, and weeding too diligently, lol! Although the birds eat bunches of the seeds, they still reseed for me now. They won't flower the first year from seed, but will give you lots of babies.
Bev
NorthernSeasons: Pretty blue bird!
Echinaceas are tough, long-lived, long blooming perennials. I think you'll love them.
Tabasco: those wintersown echinaceas can take a long time to sprout, so don't be to fast to give up on them.
Karen
I have found Echinaceas are fairly easy to divide. I just dig them up and pull thme apart, then replant the separate pieces. good way to get more of the expensive hybrids.
Susan