The coneflower from the daisy family is also offered under the botanical name Echinacea. This name comes from the ancient Greek word for sea urchin and probably refers to the spiny chaff leaves.
The coneflower is native to eastern and central North America. Echinaceas include these varieties:
- yellow coneflower
- purple coneflower
- rough coneflower
- narrow-leaved coneflower
There are other echinaceas, some have even made a good name for themselves in medicine and are used here to make medicine for sore throats, coughs and tonsillitis. They were already known in natural healing medicine among the Indians in North America and have regained their place today thanks to the regained fame of this type of medical treatment. When the coneflower is planted in the garden, it is of course primarily because of its appearance. Here the plant shines in different colors and different heights, which can grow up to 120 cm high.
Location for the coneflower (Echinacea)
In its native America, the coneflower occurs primarily in warm regions. Indiana, Michigan and Illinois are just a few of them. Here it is mainly found in open forests, but sometimes the location is on rocky ground or in prairies. It particularly thrives near waterways and at altitudes between 10 meters and 400 meters.
In the garden, the coneflower is a perennial that looks a bit like a daisy and is therefore often planted in cottage gardens. Together with the perennials usually found there, delphiniums, phlox or hydrangeas, the coneflower looks very beautiful in any of the possible varieties and colors. It can also be planted very well with ornamental grasses, herbs or lavender and also with globe thistles or phlox. This not only shows how diverse the sun hat is due to its appearance, but also gives an idea of how popular this makes it. As long as its location is sunny, it can be cultivated in a variety of ways. A few beautiful varieties that all bloom between July and September:
- Echinacea coral red filled “Coral Reef”, 70-80 cm high
- Echinacea orange/yellow “Flame Thrower”, 90-100 cm high
- Echinacea white “Fragrant Angel”, 80-100 cm high
- Echinacea yellow “yellow coneflower”, 50-65 cm high
Due to its eye-catching flower heads, the Echinacea is of course particularly popular with bees, bumblebees and butterflies. That's why it can be found primarily in naturally planted gardens. Nevertheless, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to cut off some of the stems and place them in a bouquet of flowers or as a sole eye-catcher in the vase. This is very possible because the plant does not wilt immediately after cutting, as other perennials tend to do.
Coneflower care and propagation
If you want to enrich your garden with a coneflower plant, it can also be sown, but it usually comes into the garden as a small young plant in a pot. It is available from specialist garden shops and should be planted between September and November. Of course, you should choose a partially shaded to sunny location, as that is its natural preference. The more sun it gets in its place, the more flowers the plant produces. Nevertheless, he is frugal when it comes to water consumption. If there is a coneflower in the garden, it can also be propagated by dividing the root balls. In the same way, he can also move from one garden to another, in exchange, so to speak. However, this should only be done every four or five years so that the coneflower can recover in the meantime. This is also the time when flower production generally decreases.
In spring, the coneflower should be prepared for the next growing season. In return he gets a portion of compost as fertilizer. If you want, you can cut the plant back at this time; it is definitely recommended to do this after flowering. This stimulates the further growth of flowers. The sun hat does not require any special protective measures for the winter. It is frost hardy and can be left in place, but should be cut back to the ground.
The red coneflower, also known as the purple coneflower, is particularly popular. It impresses with its large purple petals, which sit on stems around 120 cm high. These bright flowers appear from August to autumn, where they complement the autumnal bed and garden to match the leaf colors.
Tip:
The coneflower is a cold germinator that can also be sown in winter.
Pest infestation of coneflowers
Even if the coneflower is a robust plant and is not easily attacked by pests, it is powerless against one thing: it is preferred by slugs. These mainly affect it as young plants or as fresh shoots in spring. General caution and appropriate measures are therefore advisable. In addition to the snails, powdery mildew could occur, but this can only appear at the end of flowering and at this point is only a visual defect. At this point it cannot harm the plant itself. Many gardeners have discovered that their Echinacea particularly likes to attract voles. That's why you should pay particular attention here.
What you should know about the coneflower in brief
Coneflower (Echinacea and Rudbeckia fulgida) belongs to the large Asteraceae family. The family members include both ornamental plants and medicinal plants, which clearly reflects the scientific name. When we talk about the medicinal plant coneflower, we mean Echinacea. However, both family members are valued as loving touches of color in the gardens due to their colorful and long-lasting flowering period. The flower of the coneflower is comparable to that of the daisy. Only the base of the basket in the middle is cone-shaped, while that of the daisy is flat. Strongly colored petals are arranged around it and can range from yellow to patterns to dark pink.
Coneflower as a medicinal plant
The healing effects of echinacea are broad and many people swear by echinacea as a home remedy for colds. It is said to be extremely helpful against colds and flu infections. Since we know its healing effects, it is also recommended to take Echinacea as a preventative measure during the cold and wet season. Conventional medicine, however, partially denies the healing effect. Pharmacies and drugstores offer appropriate dosage forms. However, the echinacea can do even more; it also helps with minor burns and supports general healing properties. Its anti-inflammatory effect and the stimulation of the body's own defenses also make it suitable for the rapid healing of abscesses.
Coneflower care
- In home gardens, including mine, the coneflower prefers to grow in the sun, in a flowerbed facing south.
- It loves direct sunlight, it also thrives in partial shade, just not quite as lushly.
- The flowers are between 30 and 60 cm high, and with regular care (watering and cutting back the spent flowers) it blooms colorfully all summer long, right into autumn.
- The coneflower reproduces via underground runners, so you should always make sure that it does not start to proliferate.
- However, its growth power is nowhere near as persistent as that of lemon balm or peppermint.
Effect of the coneflower
The ancient medicinal plant Echinacea is and was particularly valued by the Indians in North America. This ethnic group has always used the medicinal plant for typical colds such as sore throats, tonsillitis, coughs, etc. Today we use over-the-counter echinacea products in stores or use our own medicinal plant from the garden. The parts of the plant above the ground can all be used. Either you dry the echinacea and brew it into a tea, or squeeze the echinacea and use the juice. However, pregnant women and allergy sufferers should take echinacea as a precaution because its toxic effects have not yet been researched.
