PLANT SEEDS: Outdoors after frost / Indoors weeks before last frost

PLANT HEIGHT: 24 - 36"

PLANT SPACING: 18 - 24"

BLOOM TIME: Summer - Frost

HARDINESS ZONE: 4 - 10

LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun - Part Shade

SOIL & WATER PREFERENCES: Average - Dry

QUANTITY: 50 Seeds

Description

Bright upright plants, coneflowers are a North American perennial in the Daisy family (Asteraceae). They grow 2 to 4 feet in height with dark green foliage. They are fast growers and self-sow their seed profusely. These midsummer bloomers can flower from midsummer through fall frost!  Coneflowers have raised cone-like centers (hence, the name) which contain seeds that attract butterflies. Leave the seed heads after bloom and you’ll also attract songbirds! 

Trouble-free, coneflowers are drought-tolerant, once established. They can take the heat!  As native plants with prickly stems, they are more deer-resistant than most flowering plants. 

Growing Coneflower From Seeds

Dampen a Paper Towel

Fold a paper towel in half. Sprinkle it with water until it's barely damp but not soggy.

Treat the Seeds

Sprinkle the coneflower seeds on one-half of the paper towel. Fold the towel in half so the seeds are between two layers of moist towel. Seal the towel in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for eight to 12 weeks. This cold treatment mimics winter conditions and helps the seeds break dormancy so they can germinate.

Prep the Pots

Fill 8-inch-deep seedling pots with moistened potting soil. Coneflowers need extra-deep pots because they develop very long taproots.

Sow the Seeds

Sow two coneflower seeds in each pot, covering them with only a thin sprinkling of soil, and allow the pots to drain.

Cover the Pots

Cover the pots with clear plastic to retain moisture and keep the pots in a warm room to germinate.

Remove the Bag

Remove the bag once the seeds sprout and provide the seedlings with full sunlight. Water the plants when the soil surface dries.

Transplant the Seedlings

Move the coneflowers outside once they produce their second set of true leaves and after average nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant them to a full-sun, well-drained perennial bed.

Water the Coneflowers

Provide coneflowers with approximately 1 inch of water a week during the growing season. Apply up to 1 inch of compost around each plant in spring to replenish the nutrients in the soil.