Purple Echinacea Seeds

Echinacea is a beautiful flowering perennial that also does great in pots. This variety of echinacea is suited for growing in a wide range of climates. Purple Echinacea seeds can be sown directly in the garden in an area that can be irrigated to remain moist until germination. Otherwise, sow the seed in pots in a protected area and transplant out in late spring. Purple Echinacea also has herbal medicinal qualities.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Echinacea has strikingly gorgeous flowers that attract tons and tons of beneficial insects and butterflies to the garden. In Zones 9 and 10, echinacea seeds can be direct sown in the garden in the fall, when soil is at 40°F, allowing plants to establish during the cool season.

Zones 2-8

• Start seed indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost and transplant out after the danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow directly into the garden in late summer, allowing at least twelve weeks before the first frost date.

Planting Echinacea Seeds

• Direct sow or transplant your echinacea into the garden.
• Start the seeds indoors in trays or starter pots to direct sow, using a high-quality seed-starting mix. Sprinkle seed on top of well-moistened soil and cover with 1/8″ of finely sifted soil. The seed must remain moist to germinate. Seeds will germinate in 10-15+ days.
• To direct sow the seeds, plant in well-worked soil that is finely raked and clear of debris. Cover with 1/8″ well-sifted soil and follow the same recommendations for seeding indoors.
• Plant in well-draining, moderately fertile soil. Echinacea can thrive in partial shade to full sun.

Growing Echinacea

• Mulch heavily around your plants to help with weed suppression and moisture retention.

Growing Echinacea in Containers

• If you are planting echinacea in containers, make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. The larger the container, the more blooms you will get. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture.

Harvesting Echinacea Flowers

• Purple echinacea blooms make gorgeous cut flowers. Harvest flowers early in the morning and place them directly in a vase of room temperature water for the longest-lasting blooms.
• Echinacea can be used in tea and home remedies. Dry the plant root for tea to soothe sore throats and boost immunity. Here are instructions for making tea.

Southern California Pro-tips

• In Zones 9 and 10, echinacea will happily bloom from summer through early fall.
• DO NOT overhead water as this promotes disease.
• Side dress with an organic granular fertilizer to ensure abundant blooms.
• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Echinacea is a beautiful addition to home gardens, meadows, butterfly, and wildflower gardens. The blooms not only attract beneficial insects but also feed pollinators. Plants grow 2-3′ tall, making them perfect for growing in front of sunflowers, hollyhocks, and other tall blooming flowers. For a stunning color combination, grow them alongside our chartreuse green Envy Zinnia variety! Shop all our flowers here.
• Plant echinacea in your vegetable garden to repel aphids.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to garden flowers at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.

Fill your garden with pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects like bees, moths, and butterflies. Learn more about growing Pollinator Plants in our Garden Wisdom Blog.