Echinacea Seeds

Why Choose Echinacea Seeds?

Echinacea are also known as ‘coneflowers’ due to their shape, which is also much easier to pronounce! Growing your own echinacea seeds is like giving a burst of sunshine to the garden, with vibrant blooms in purple, pink, and white which last throughout summer and into autumn! Echinaceas are tough plants which are tolerant to drought, so it isn’t the end of the world if you forget to water them – though you still should get the watering can out if it’s hot and you remember to do so! Planting echinacea seeds also attracts bees and butterflies, the perfect pollinators of your garden. Read our 5 ways to attract wildlife to your garden for even more top tips to revitalise your outside space, the natural way!

How to Plant Echinacea Seeds

We said echinacea are tough plants, and they’re equally unfussy when it comes to planting seeds. Feel free to mix some compost into your soil before sowing the seeds – not too deep, as they’ll need light to germinate. Once they’re sprouted into heathy seedlings, they prefer to have room to breathe, so thin out any that aren’t doing as well. Keep the soil moist until they’ve established themselves, at which point you can get away with watering less.

FAQs

How long does it take for echinacea seeds to germinate?

Coneflower seeds take roughly 2 weeks to germinate. Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged, and be patient – good things take time.

Do I need to stratify echinacea seeds before planting?

It’s by no means essential, but stratification can help improve your germination rate for spring planting, and check if older seeds have any life left in them. Soak your seeds before draining onto a paper towel. Place the damp paper towel & seeds into a food bag or sealed food container and pop in the fridge for 4-6 weeks before planting. This will mimic the natural conditions of this native plant when it’s germinating in the wild in cool weather!

Can Echinacea grow in partial shade?

They can, but will always prefer full sun if possible. Fewer blooms may appear if they’re in the shade.