How to Start White Swan Coneflower From a Seed

White Swan coneflowers attract bees and hummingbirds.

White Swan coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea "White Swan") look like drooping daisies. They are, like all coneflowers, easy to grow and add a prairielike touch to the garden. White Swan coneflowers grow to 18 inches tall and reach 2 feet when in bloom, in summer. Coneflowers, planted from seed, can take up to two years to reach their mature size. They bloom, however, the second spring after planting the seed. Plant the white coneflower seed in a full-sun location in early spring when all danger of frost has passed.

Things You'll Need

• Spade or shovel
• Peat moss
• Compost
• Garden fork
• Rake

Instructions

1. Pull weeds from the coneflower seed planting area. Till the soil, using a spade or garden fork, to loosen it to a depth of 10 inches.

2. Spread 1 inch of peat moss and 2 inches of compost over the soil and use the garden fork to mix them into the soil, to a depth of 6 inches. Rake the bed until it is level and smooth.

3. Scatter the White Swan coneflower seeds over the surface of the flower bed and cover them with a 1/4-inch layer of soil. Mist the bed lightly, to a depth of 3 inches and keep it moist while the seeds germinate. You should have White Swan sprouts within 10 days and flowers within 60 to 90 days.

Tips & Warnings

• Thin the coneflower seedlings when they reach 2 inches in height.

References

• Monrovia: White Swan Coneflower
• National Gardening Association: Coneflower
• Park Seed Company Catalog; Coneflower, Echinacea White Swan; Spring 2011
• "Burpee Seed Starter: A Guide to Growing Flower, Vegetable, and Herb Seeds Indoors and Outdoors"; Maureen Heffernan; 1997
• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Echinacea; Millie Davenport; November 2009