Echinacea purpurea

Hi everyone,

In the spring of 1996, I planted two small echinacea starts.  They grew
well that year, but didn't flower.  They died back completely and I
marked the spots in the garden so I wouldn't accidentally disturb them.

Last spring, they were slow to come up-- in fact, I'd almost given up--
but finally did.  This time they reached 18" in height, but still not
blooms.  They died back as before.

This year, they came up quickly and are bigger and leafier than ever
before.  And this year, for the first time, both plants have several
blooms beginning.

So far, the booms have a sturdy seed head, ringed with delicate,
feeble-looking pinkish purple petals.  Now, I know that echinacea petals
droop toward the ground, but these aren't drooping-- they're hanging.
And they are sparse, and thinner than what I've seen in pictures.

Is something wrong with these plants, or do the petals also go through a
filling-out process after they first appear?

Is it typical to take two seasons before bloom is seen?

These plants are in well-amended, well-drained soil, full sun, and get a
reasonable amount of water.

Thanks,
Sue P.

SPesznec@lhs.org          Portland, Oregon
(USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 6)
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