Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
A gorgeous wildflower native to North America, echinacea is a popular perennial in many gardens and makes a wonderful cut-flower and attractor of pollinators. The plants have many herbal uses and the flowers grow on long stems to about 5 feet tall. The blooms of our echinacea variety are generally purple and range in hues from lighter to darker purple.
The genus name Echinacea comes from the Greek work for hedgehog, referring to the spiny seed heads of the flower. Native Americans used the plant extensively for a wide range of wellness applications for the antibiotic properties of the plant and immune boosting attributes. German physician Dr. Gerhard Madaus thoroughly researched the plant in the early 20th century and his work led to increased adoption of echinacea in naturopathic applications.
Note: Echinacea is a perennial plant so it will grow anew from established roots every year. The plants generally don't bloom until their second year but will bloom each year after.
Origin: The parent seed of our echinacea came from two sources, both from wildcrafted seeds. First, we save seeds from wild plants near the NC Arboretum in Bent Creek, NC and also from seeds we saved from wild plants near Cacapon State Park near Berkley Springs, WV.
(Approximately 50 Seeds per packet)
Germination rate: 80% - tested 8/30/24
Planting Instructions: Echinacea seeds benefit from cold-stratification, a period of cold, moist conditions. We recommend planting seeds either in the fall after your first frost or in late winter several weeks before your last frost. Seeds can be manually cold stratified too by placing seeds on a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Keep the bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 days before planting. Sow seeds 1/4" deep in full sun to part shade in well drained soil. Keep seeds moist until they germinate.
