Echinacea

 Echinacea is an asy to grow, tough perennial which flowers in late summer. They combine well with other late perennials and grasses, especially in prairie-style plantings. The flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies.

Whether you are sowing Echinacea indoors in Autumn or Spring, simply scatter the seeds on the surface of your compost and lightly cover with vermiculite of grit. These seeds do not require additional heat to germinate. Keep the compost moist and once the seedlings have a pair of true leaves and are large enough to handle, pot on into 9cm pots. For autumn sown seedlings protect them from the worst of the frosts between December and February, planting them out in March, plant out spring sown seedlings in May after hardening them off.

Once your Echinacea plants have matured, you can harvest the flowers and leaves for various purposes. The flowers can be dried and used to make herbal teas, tinctures, or infused oils with potent immune-boosting properties. The leaves can also be harvested and used in similar preparations.

TOP TIP

Echinacea won’t flower freely in shade. They prefer being planted out in spring and summer, as autumn plantings are more prone to rotting off over winter, especially on wet or heavy soils. They also dislike being disturbed, so plants are best allowed to form large clumps.