Echinacea purpurea Dove Cottage hybrids

RHS Plant Profile
purple coneflower Dove Cottage hybrids
Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

Robust, seed-raised perennial coneflower hybrids to 90cm tall with dark green, toothed, hairy leaves. Daisy-like flowerheads with bronze-orange central cones surrounded by ray florets produced in variable pink colours, are borne from summer into autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Echinacea are erect, clump-forming rhizomatous perennials with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and solitary, long-stalked daisies with prominent conical central disks and often drooping ray florets; attractive to butterflies
Name Status
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, humus-rich soil ideally in full sun with protection from excessive winter wet. See echinacea cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or autumn although they resent disturbance. Propagate by root cuttings from late autumn to early winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cutting back stems as the blooms fade may encourage further flowering; or seedheads may be kept on the plant for winter interest

Pests

Generally pest-free but young growth may be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free