When to plant and prune Coneflower (echinacea)
Coneflower (echinacea) flowers from mid July to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Coneflower (echinacea) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| East Anglia | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Northern England | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Northern Ireland | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to mid June | mid July to early October | mid February to mid March |
Growing notes
Plant in spring or early summer rather than autumn: autumn plantings often rot over winter on wet or heavy soil. It dislikes disturbance and will not flower in shade, and the Chelsea chop in late May gives shorter, sturdier plants at the cost of later, shorter flowering.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 120 cm
- Eventual spread
- 45 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Feeding
A spring mulch of well-rotted organic matter is usually enough.
Pruning group
Cut last year's stems to the base in late winter or early spring as new growth appears; the seedheads can be left standing through winter for structure and for birds.
What usually goes wrong
- crown rot on wet or heavy soils
- poor flowering in shade
- slugs and snails on new growth
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for coneflower (echinacea).