Cheyenne Spirit coneflower

Sun

Full sun is best; tolerates light partial shade but may flower less and lean.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate some drought but flower better with occasional deep watering.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy soil or improved clay; average fertility is sufficient. Avoid ground that stays wet in winter.

Height

1.5-2.5 ft (0.45-0.75 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Summer into early autumn; individual plants bear shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, cream or white, usually around a brown to orange-brown cone.

Foliage

Rough-textured, green, lance-shaped to broadly oval leaves; lower leaves form a basal clump.

Growth

Moderate; can flower in its first year from an early sowing and usually fills out over two growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.3 ft (0.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during the first growing season, allowing the surface soil to dry between waterings.
• Add a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages weak stems.
• Keep mulch away from the crown and improve drainage where winter soil stays wet.
• Allow air to circulate between plants; staking is rarely needed in full sun.
• Divide crowded or declining clumps in spring, usually every three to four years if needed.

Pruning. Deadhead faded flowers during summer to encourage further flowering, or leave later seedheads for birds. Cut dead stems to just above the emerging basal growth in late winter or early spring.

Late winter

Sow purchased seed indoors with warmth and bright light if you want flowers in the first summer.

Early spring

Cut down old stems before new growth becomes tall, and apply a thin layer of compost.

Spring

Plant hardened-off young plants after severe frosts; divide established clumps if crowded.

Summer

Water new plants during dry weather and deadhead selected stems to extend flowering.

Early autumn

Leave some mature seedheads for birds and winter structure.

Winter

Check that water is not pooling around dormant crowns and keep wet mulch off them.

• Plant in repeated groups through a sunny mixed border for upright flowers and a varied colour display.
• Combine with ornamental grasses in prairie-style planting for contrasting flower shapes and winter seedheads.
• Use beside paths or seating areas where visiting bees and butterflies are easy to watch.
• Choose plants in flower to build a coordinated hot-coloured border rather than relying on a random seed mixture.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, New perennial (prairie), Pollinator garden, Midwest prairie, Hot border and Wildlife garden.

Plant it with: Black-eyed Susan, Russian sage, Catmint, Blazing star, Switchgrass and Yarrow.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects. Mature seedheads feed seed-eating birds, especially finches.

• Slugs and snails can eat emerging spring shoots: inspect at dusk, remove hiding places nearby and use wildlife-conscious controls where needed.
• Crown or root rot can kill plants in wet soil: improve drainage, keep the crown clear of mulch and replace badly rotted plants.
• Aster yellows causes green, distorted flowers and abnormal leafy growth: remove and discard affected plants promptly; there is no cure.
• Powdery mildew may mark leaves, especially in crowded or stressed plants: improve airflow, water the soil during drought and remove badly affected foliage.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is recognized as a serious poisoning hazard, although eating plant material may cause digestive upset and contact can occasionally irritate sensitive skin. This ornamental hybrid is not recommended for home medicinal use.

• Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

  Typical plants have pink-purple flowers and are often taller; 'Cheyenne Spirit' is a more compact hybrid strain with a much wider colour range. A purple-flowered individual may be difficult to identify without its label.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  Usually has golden-yellow petals around a dark, less prominently spiny centre; coneflowers have a distinctly prickly, raised cone.

• Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera)

  Has a much longer, narrow central column, strongly drooping petals and more finely divided leaves.

Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, meaning hedgehog, referring to the prickly central cone.

Propagation. Grow from purchased seed sold as 'Cheyenne Spirit'; this is a seed-raised strain, so colours naturally vary. Saved seed may produce less predictable offspring. Divide a healthy clump in spring to retain that individual plant's flower colour.

Accepted botanical name

Echinacea

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.