Echinacea is not just one of the most attractive flowers out there, but it also comes with tremendous medicinal benefits which continue to thrill people who are interested in herbal medicine as the plant is believed to be a great immune system booster as well as potent treatment for numerous diseases.
It originated from the woods in various parts of the United States including Ohio, Louisiana and Georgia.
Echinacea comes in very handy when planted among the perennial plants in your borders and beds due to its high resistance to extremely unfavorable weather conditions including winter.
This is the reason why many gardeners desire to have this plant in their yards or gardens.
Echinacea prefers soils with good drainage and therefore fails to thrive in soils that retain water even after many hours.
This therefore makes it unsuitable for clayey and other types of soils that are soggy in nature.
The plant comes with numerous species but the most popular ones include the famous purple coneflower as well as the Swan species, which is noted for its white color.
There are seven other species, which come with different characteristics in terms of color, size and leaf texture.
If planted in soils with suitable conditions then the plants can grow as long as 4 feet with blooming flowers that can be as big as 6 inches wide with long stems that stand upright.
These flowers can be grown behind short annual or perennial flowers in your home or garden.
If you want to generate the best looking Echinacea flowers then you should plant them in fertile soils in non shady areas so that they can receive direct sunlight.
If you are not confident that the soil you have access to is fertile enough, then you can improve it through the addition of compost and natural fertilizers.
If you live in an area with humid soil then it will be a great idea to create raised beds for planting these flowers and don't forget to water young plants regularly until they begin to generate seedlings, after which watering will not be necessary if you live in an area with regular rainfall.
You can grow Echinacea either from its seeds or from transplants from nurseries and certified growers in your locality.
Echinacea seeds are best sown at the beginning of spring when the soil starts becoming suitable for planting and frost is not completely over.
You should dig holes that are 0.
25 inches deep and leave a space of 2 inches between different holes.
It's important to know that various animals such as rabbits, deer and hedgehogs may invade your yard when your seedlings begin springing up.
So if you know these pests are common in your locality then it will a great idea to find various means of protecting your seedlings from being fed on by them.
When your Echinacea seedlings starts growing you should regularly weed your yard or garden to eliminate any competition of resources between your plants and weeds.
Your Echinacea plants will start blooming with beautiful flowers from the beginning of June to October.
This makes the Echinacea flowers one of the last to die out before winter.
You can ensure a good supply of Echinacea seeds for planting in the next season by finding grown flower heads to cut and harvest when the seeds fall off.
The seeds should be dried in the sun for about two weeks to make them viable for sowing next season.
The roots and flowers of Echinacea can be used for making herbal concoctions for the treatment of common cold as well as flu and various infections.