Yellow coneflower

Yellow coneflower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright clump 60–80 cm tall and about 45 cm wide, with sparsely branched stems.

Leaves

Narrowly lance-shaped and dark green, mainly at the base of the plant.

Flower

Flower heads with long, narrow, downward-hanging rays around a cone-shaped centre.

Colour

Bright yellow, with a dark brown to chocolate-coloured cone.

Roots

Thick and deep: once established it copes with drought, but it prefers not to be moved.

Flowering: June–August · Sowing: March–April · Plants: April–May · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• A rare colour among coneflowers: bright yellow with a dark centre.
• A long flowering season from June to August, with a natural, prairie look.
• A top plant for bees and butterflies, which land on the broad cone.
• The seed cones stand through winter and feed birds such as goldfinches.
• Drought-tolerant once established: suitable for prairie and gravel gardens.

Yellow coneflower: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade it hardly flowers and flops.
• Free-draining sandy or loamy soil; acid, neutral or chalky is fine.
• Dry to moist in summer, but never wet in winter: wet feet are its worst enemy.
• Avoid heavy, wet clay, or improve it first with gravel and plant slightly raised.
• Plant 40–45 cm apart, in groups of 3–5 for a natural effect.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Purple coneflower: Pink and yellow coneflowers together create a cheerful prairie feel.
• Switchgrass: An airy prairie grass with lovely autumn colour.
• Giant hyssop: Purple-blue spikes with an aniseed scent, also loved by bees.
• Woodland sage: Blue spikes for contrast, in the same sunny, dry spot.

Yellow coneflower: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, so it can root in well before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot; in heavy soil, mix in gravel or coarse sand.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot; do not plant it in a hollow where water can collect.
4. Leave 40–45 cm between plants.
5. Water generously at planting and in dry spells during the first summer.
6. Mulch with gravel rather than compost or bark, especially around the base of the stems.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year. After that only in long dry periods.

Feeding

Not needed; in rich soil the stems become floppy.

Deadheading

Remove spent flowers in July for new blooms, but from August leave the cones for the birds.

Slugs

Protect the young shoots in spring: slugs love them.

Moving

Best avoided: the thick roots recover slowly.

Tip: Plant it in spring where the soil never stays wet in winter, for example on a slope or in a raised bed with gravel: that way it will come back every year.

Yellow coneflower: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It hardly needs pruning. Leave the stems standing all winter and cut them down in March.

How:

• In March, cut the dead stems down to just above the new shoots at the base.
• In summer you can cut spent flowers back to the next leaf to prolong flowering.
• From late August, leave the seed cones for the birds and as a winter silhouette.

Caution: Do not cut everything down in autumn: the seed cones are winter food for birds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In March–April indoors. The seed germinates better after a cold spell: put the sown pot in the fridge for a few weeks first, then in a light, warm place.

Division

Possible in spring with older clumps, but it recovers slowly; sowing is usually the better choice.

Yellow coneflower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: cold is no problem in Belgium.
• Cold, wet soil is a risk, though: ensure good drainage and no thick layer of wet mulch over the crown.
• Leave the seed cones as food for birds and as a winter silhouette.
• In a pot: move it under cover so the compost does not get waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: The plant fails to reappear in spring after a wet winter. Plant in a free-draining spot or a raised bed.
• Slugs: Young shoots are stripped in spring. Check in the evening, pick them off or use a slug collar.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer. Give the plant space and a sunny spot.
• Fading away: In heavy or rich soil the clump weakens after a few years. Move it to a leaner, drier spot or sow new plants.

Through the year

• March: Cut away dead stems. Sow indoors; give the sown pot a few weeks in the cold first.
• April: Plant. Protect young shoots from slugs.
• May: Plant. Plant out seed-raised plants.
• June: Flowering starts. Bees and butterflies visit.
• July: Full flower. Deadhead.
• August: End of flowering. Leave the cones for the birds.
• September: Leave the seed cones. Do not move young plants any more.
• November: Leave stems and cones as a winter silhouette.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• Paradoxa refers to the ‘contradictory’ yellow colour, in a genus whose other species flower pink, purple or white.
• Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, hedgehog, after the spiny flower centre.
• Many yellow and orange coneflowers sold in garden centres descend from crosses with this species.