Purple Coneflower Echinacea - Organic

seeds

Echinacea purpurea
Open-pollinated. Perennial to Zone 3. Showy late summer blooms attract butterflies and bees and make good cutflowers. Long downward-curving petals surround large spiny copper-colored centers that collect dew in the morning. Though not a mix, the colorful flowers vary from rose to lavender to purple. A popular garden perennial since the early 1700s, and possibly the best-known of the medicinal herbs, widely used as an immune stimulant. At least 14 native North American nations used Echinacea for similar purposes: sore throat, toothache, infection, wounds, snake bite and skin disorders. Fedco staffer Joanna Linden likes to tincture flowers and leaves in August and use the same alcohol to tincture seeds and third-year roots in October. Large fibrous roots are easy to harvest.

Easy-to-grow, 2–4' tall, native to a wide range of habitats, from Appalachian woods to Midwest prairies. Start indoors at 70–75°, germinates in 15–20 days. Grow on at 60–65°. Set out 18–24" apart. Self-sows when it’s happy. Especially attractive to pollinators. ②

From early May through October 31, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.

We will not be fulfilling seed orders from May 20 - May 22 while we do physical inventory count. Orders placed by Monday, May 19 at 10am will be shipped before the break. We will resume normal order fulfillment on Friday, May 23.

ships year-round

This item is certified organic

4547 Purple Coneflower - Organic

A: 0.5g

$2.75

B: 4g

$6.15

C: 16g

$12.25

D: 48g

$25.00

Additional Information

Echinacea

3-5' tall. Echinos means ‘spiny’ and coneflower’s spiny seedheads are beautiful surrounded by a single row of reflexed petals. Wonderful late summer blooms attract butterflies and bees and make good cutflowers; dew collects in the spiral mandala coneheads.

Possibly the best-known of the medicinal herbs, widely used as an immune-system stimulant. At least 14 native North American nations used Echinacea for similar purposes: sore throat, toothache, infection, wounds, snake bite and skin disorders. Medicinal benefits vary among the different species. E. purpurea and angustifolia are considered the standard for making medicinal tincture. E. paradoxa shares some of the immune-stimulating compounds as purpurea but in our opinion is best planted for the birds and the bees as a complement to your purpurea patch.

Growing Echinacea

Tolerates wind, heat and drought once established. Will reseed. Plant 20–30" apart in full sun and light sandy soil.

From seed: Start indoors at 70–75°, germinates in 15–20 days. Grow on at 60–65°. Set out 18–24" apart.
Bare root plants: Plant 20–30" apart.

Herbs

See Herb Chart for uses and cultural information.

About medicinal herbs: Archeological evidence dates the medicinal use of herbs back 60,000 years to the Neanderthals. 85% of the world’s population employ herbs as medicines, and 40% of pharmaceuticals in the U.S. contain plant-derived materials. Fewer than 10% of higher plant species have been investigated for their medicinal components. Interest in traditional herbal remedies continues to grow.

Statements about medicinal use of plants have not been evaluated by the FDA, and should not be used for the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any ailment. Before using or ingesting any medicinal plant, consult a healthcare practitioner familiar with botanical medicine.

Takinagawa Burdock and Resina Calendula, as well as oats, mammoth red clover and alfalfa in the Farm Seed section, also have medicinal uses. Medicinal herbs such as black cohosh, licorice, and many more are available as plants, and shipped in the spring with orders from our perennial plants warehouse.

Culture: Some herbs are customarily grown from divisions because they cannot come true from seed, such as scented thymes and flavored mints. Some require fall sowing of fresh seed, such as sweet cicely and angelica.

Using herbs: Drying herbs at home is not difficult. Whole leaves retain their flavor at least a year. To substitute fresh herbs for dried in cooking, use triple the dried quantity called for in a recipe.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.

Our Seeds are Non-GMO

All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.