Echinacea purpurea 'The King'

RHS Plant Profile

purple coneflower 'The King'

RHS

Herbaceous Perennial

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Strong-growing upright perennial coneflower that may reach 1.5m in height,with branched stems supporting rough, hairy green leaves, from summer to autumn produces solitary flowerheads with arching pink ray-petals surrounding an orange-brown cone

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): 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 deep, well-drained, humus-rich soil ideally in full sun although they can tolerate some shade

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or autumn although they resent a lot of disturbance, or by root cuttings from late autumn to early winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Prairie planting
Wildlife gardens
Wildflower meadow
Cottage and informal garden
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back stems as the blooms fade to encourage further flower production

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free