Purple Coneflower

[December99]

Okay...I planted seeds for Purple Coneflower that I got at the Chicago Flower and Garden show last year. I planted them in early summer just as the directions said. I have these leaves that have grown now for two summers, no flowers, just leaves. I wasn't sure if they are possibly weeds but I didn't want to pull them in case they were the plants. But, I have seen no flowers on them at all so I wasn't sure if there is a time period before you start seeing flowers, like a couple of years, or if anyone might have a pic that has the leaves so I can see if they are the same things. I did a search on Yahoo and the pic was too tiny to see the leaves.

Thanks for anything you can help me with on these. I love the color of the flowers so I'm hoping they will eventually flower. If they are probably a weed, then I want to get something else in there. The leaves are very abundant and are kind of a "pointy" type of leaf.

 

[amid chaos]

Mine flower in late summer with the black eyed susans.

 

[DixieDreamer]

The pointy leaf sounds right. I have never started coneflowers from seeds directly (at least not on purpose - they reseed freely). I wonder if the first year is a nonblooming year when started from seed?! Blooms should appear in mid to late June and then continue through the remainder of the summer until fall. I would leave it and watch it closely for the next few weeks.

 

[Mamu]

I also grow coneflowers but have never started them from seed.

I'm a faithful deadheader when it comes to plants. Very few things I let go to seed. I deadhead my coneflowers but somehow there are baby coneflowers everywhere.

They are oval pointed leaves that I can see veins in. Wish I could help you more.

 

[December99]

Thanks guys. I'll be patient and wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. In the middle of the leaves there are things that look like they could eventually be blooms but I didn't know if maybe they were just baby leaves waiting to bloom. So we'll see. I took a pick of them last night along with my edging project that I did and I hope to post them either on Friday or sometime this weekend!

 

[December99]

I am happy to report that it appears that we have blooms starting on the plant...I looked under alot of the foliage this weekend and I found a bloom that was stuck underneath...I'm so excited...I can't wait for more blooms!!!!

 

[gina2000]

YAHOO!!!! I just ADORE coneflowers!

 

[kaybird]

Congrats on getting your coneflowers up from seed! Just info for any lurkers out there, this is one that benefits from stratification; which means in order to germinate, it must go through a cold spell. (simplified) Also, will take at least one, sometimes two seasons to flower from seed, plants that are devided or propagated will usually flower in one.

BTW- Echinacea is the official "herb of the year" for 2002!

Happy gardening!!!

kaybird

 

[Snowwark]

Good for you December99, bless your bloomers!!

Hi Kaybird! Thank you very much for the information!!

 

[Maleficent2]

I love coneflower I have both the purple and the white ones.But the purples tend to take over.I too do not grow from seed they just reseed themselves all over the yard.Sometimes I will move the small plants around.It usually takes one to two years to flowers.

Mine are starting to bloom now.


Link

http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/perennial/coneflower.html



enjoy


Mal