Re: purple coneflower
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: purple coneflower
- From: L*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 02:03:20 EDT
In a message dated 99-07-25 12:02:07 EDT, Judy Warner writes:
<< Do you find that the coneflowers show a lot of variation in the
flowers--some of my self sows have thin spindly petals and less color than
the others. Do other people notice this ? I think I'll just have to pull
up an throw away the poorer bloomers--Judy Warner >>
Echinacea does not come true to type from seed, so what you are experiencing
is normal. The cultivars, such as 'Bright Star' and 'Magnus', have brighter
colored flowers. Their seedlings will naturally revert to the species. Even
if you are growing the straight species, there will be a lot of seedling
variation. It's easy enough to rogue out the undesirable seedlings. But
coneflowers are easy to propagate by division or root cuttings, and with
vegetative propagation you will have blooming plants much sooner and they
will be true to type. I just divide mine and don't bother with the seed at
all. I leave the seedheads on for the birds and they love them.
--Janis
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