How to grow Echinacea in Australia

Where to plant

Plant echinacea in full sun, as it does not flower freely in shade. Soil must drain easily. Echinacea comes from low-rainfall country with poor soils and tolerates dry soil well once established, but crowns rot in heavy or waterlogged ground, most often over a wet winter. On clay, plant into a raised bed or mound. Dig in a little compost before planting to help the roots settle.

Choose a permanent spot. Echinacea dislikes being disturbed and is best left to form a large clump.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers and Sydney: sow or plant in March to May or September and October. Humid summers and wet spells are the risk, so give it the sunniest, best-drained spot and good air flow.
• Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth: well suited. Plant in autumn or spring; spring planting is safer on heavy soil.
• Canberra and Hobart: plant from September to November. It dies down in winter and returns in spring. Seed germinates better after a spell in the fridge.
• North Queensland and Darwin: sow in the dry season, May to September, in very free-draining soil or a pot. Crowns often rot in their first wet season, so many gardeners grow it as an annual.

Choosing a variety

Echinacea purpurea, the purple coneflower, is the common garden plant and the easiest from seed. Named varieties include Magnus, with large purple-pink flowers, and White Swan, with white petals. Newer hybrids come in orange, red, yellow and pink and are usually bought as plants.

How to plant

1. Sow seed about 6 mm deep in punnets of seed raising mix, kept moist and warm. Seed germinates in about 10 to 15 days at a soil temperature of 18 to 21°C.
2. For more even germination, chill the seed first: keep it in a sealed bag of barely damp mix in the fridge for a week or more before sowing.
3. Plant out seedlings, or nursery plants, once they are sturdy. Space them 30 to 50 cm apart.
4. Set the crown level with the soil surface, never buried, and keep mulch clear of it.
5. Water in, then water regularly until the plants are established.

Watering and feeding

Water young plants regularly until they establish. After that, echinacea is drought tolerant, but a deep drink in long, hot dry spells keeps it flowering. Let the soil dry a little between waterings, and never leave the crown sitting wet.

Feed lightly. Echinacea grows best in average soil; a little compost in spring is enough. Heavy feeding gives soft, floppy growth.

Pruning and care through the year

• Deadhead spent flowers to keep new ones coming, or leave the last flowers to form seed heads, which feed seed-eating birds and look good into autumn.
• Cut the plant back to just above the ground in late autumn or winter, once it dies down. It regrows in spring.
• Give plants room for air to move around them, which reduces powdery mildew.
• Clumps can be divided in spring every few years if they become crowded, but echinacea does not like disturbance, so only divide when needed.

Cutting flowers

Cut flowers for the vase when the petals are fully out and the central cone is firm and raised. Cut the stems long, in the cool of the morning, and put them straight into water. Regular cutting works like deadheading and keeps the plant flowering.

Growing in pots

Echinacea grows well in a pot at least 30 cm wide and deep, in a free-draining potting mix with extra grit or perlite. A pot is a good way to grow it in humid or wet climates, as you can control the drainage. Do not stand the pot in a saucer of water, and water only when the top of the mix is dry.