Western coneflower

Western coneflower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright perennial, 1–1.2 m tall and about 50 cm wide, with sturdy, sparsely branched stems.

Foliage

Large, oval, toothed and slightly rough, up to about 20 cm long at the base; smaller higher on the stem.

Flower

A tall, dark cone without petals, surrounded by green bracts, from July to September.

Colour

Almost black to dark brown with a green collar; the contrast is strongest in ‘Green Wizard’.

Roots

A compact clump that widens a little over the years and does not sucker.

Flowering: July–September · Sowing: March · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• A coneflower without yellow petals: the dark cone with its green collar is very striking.
• Flowers from July to September and suits modern or naturalistic borders.
• An excellent cut flower, fresh in a vase and dried in arrangements.
• Bees visit the cones in summer.
• Hardy and easy: just sun and ordinary garden soil.
• The dark cones stay attractive in autumn.

Western coneflower: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: the stems then stand sturdy and it flowers best.
• Loam or clay that stays moist, acid to neutral.
• Normally moist; water during prolonged drought.
• Sheltered from strong wind, so the tall stems do not blow over.
• Allow 40–50 cm of space per plant.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Purple coneflower: Purple-pink flowers in the same sun; the cones of both plants go well together.
• Ornamental grasses: Plumes bring movement and softness next to the firm, dark cones.
• Phlox: Flowers in the same period and adds pink, white or purple.
• Michaelmas daisy: Purple and blue flowers that take over after the coneflower and extend the season.

Western coneflower: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant in March–May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in some compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 40–50 cm between plants and plant preferably in groups of three or five.
5. Water in at once and spread a layer of mulch around the base.

Care

Water

In the first year, water weekly in dry weather. Later, water at the base during long dry spells.

Feeding

A spadeful of compost in spring. Not too much, or the stems become long and floppy.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Support

In a windy spot the tall stems appreciate support from a ring or twiggy branches.

Cutting for the vase

Cut the flowers when the cone has coloured and the bracts are open; strip the lower leaves and put them in water straight away.

Spent flowers

Leave the last cones standing if you like them, or cut them off in autumn.

Tip: Leave the dark cones standing in autumn: they are strikingly attractive, even dried in a bouquet. Cut the flowers when the cone has coloured and the green collar is open.

Western coneflower: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In February–March, before the new shoots appear.

How:

• Cut last year’s dead stems down to just above the ground.
• Cut flowers for the vase regularly during flowering: this encourages new flower stems.
• If you do not want seedlings, cut the seedheads off in autumn.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in March in a tray of seed compost, barely covering the seed. Prick out and plant out after mid-May. Seedlings often flower well only from their second year.

Division

In March–April or September, lift an older clump and divide it with a spade into pieces with roots. Replant at once and water.

Western coneflower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• Leave the dark cones standing after flowering: they decorate the garden into late winter and shelter insects.
• Heavy, wet soil in winter can harm it: work in sand for better drainage.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Young shoots and seedlings are nibbled in spring. Pick slugs off in the evening or lay a barrier of coarse sand.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry, stuffy summers. Give it space, water at the base and cut off affected leaves.
• Aphids: On young shoots and flower buds. Ladybirds often deal with them; otherwise rinse them off with water.
• Damping off: Young seedlings collapse with a thin, brown stem. Use clean seed compost, water moderately and ventilate.

Through the year

• February: Cut dead stems down to just above the ground.
• March: Sow indoors. Plant. Apply compost.
• April: Prick out seedlings. Plant. Watch for slugs.
• May: Plant out after mid-May. Mulch.
• June: Water in dry weather. Support the stems.
• July: Flowering starts. Cut flowers for the vase.
• August: Full flower. Water in dry weather.
• September: End of flowering. Plant or divide.
• October: Leave the cones as winter decoration.
• December: Rest. The dark cones decorate the garden.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name occidentalis is Latin for ‘western’, after its range in western North America.
• What looks like a single flower is really a composite flower: the cone is made up of hundreds of tiny tubular florets.
• The green ‘collar’ around the cone is made of bracts, modified leaves that protect the flower.