Echinacea

Large daisy flowers – white, pink, red or orange – with a contrasting central rounded to cone-shaped boss are carried on sturdy, branching stems above clumps of rough, dark green leaves.

Coneflowers need a position in full sun in soil that drains easily, tolerating dry soil.

Coneflowers do not flower freely in shade. They prefer being planted in spring and summer, as autumn plantings are more prone to rotting off in winter, especially on wet or heavy soils. They also dislike being disturbed, so plants are best allowed to form large clumps.

These plants have long been used in complementary medicines, believed by some to have an immunological effect.