cornflowers (should be cone flowers)

[vfem]

I have purple cone flower... they are really purple too and not pink... I don't think I have pictures though? I stole the seeds from the NC Zoo where they have a ton of wildflower meadows.

They really do have purple though.

(I have mostly yellow though... the mini coneflowers too, and those are my favorite!!!!)

 

[cwhit590]

As for things like Hollyhocks, planting them in the Fall will fool them through the winter into believing they have actually cycled two seasons. My coneflowers/Echinacea seem like first year bloomers because of this very effect.

Exactly - well put! When started early enough in the greenhouse, we've had perennials from seed bloom the same year...you guys are lucky to have mild winters!

My only issue with Purple Coneflowers is where is the Purple?? I see Pink! I have always seen pink.

I've wondered the same thing....?

 

[injunjoe]

I have purple cone flower... they are really purple too and not pink... I don't think I have pictures though? I stole the seeds from the NC Zoo where they have a ton of wildflower meadows.

They really do have purple though.

(I have mostly yellow though... the mini coneflowers too, and those are my favorite!!!!)

So now let me see here. You have now stole not only an Elephant, now you are taking there plants too?

 

[beefy]

i got some coneflowers this year. i have "Sunset" and "Tiki Torch"
http://www.daytonnursery.com/encyclopedia/perennials/echinacea.htm

i let the flowers dry and then sprinkled them all around. my question is are the seeds in the spikey parts that are left over of the flower or in the base of it when i remove all the spikey? i sprinkled it all around and then busted the little base thingy open too. i never did see any seeds really tho.

i put some in a pot in the window sill and they never have germinated.


and here they are in real life:

 

[seedcorn]

thank you, my question as well. Went last night and pulled a bunch of heads off. This is what will start? But it takes 2 years before they will bloom?

 

[cwhit590]

Great pics beef!

The seeds - they are towards the base of the spikey things. The seeds are wedge-shaped and tan, and sometimes they have little spikes on the top.

Found some pics online. Here is a pic of the seed:

Here you can see the tan seeds at the base of the spikey stuff:

If your seedheads just had the black spikey stuff...your flowers probably weren't fertile...maybe they will set seed next year? I've noticed with my 'purple' ones that not every head will bear seed....

 

[cwhit590]

thank you, my question as well. Went last night and pulled a bunch of heads off. This is what will start? But it takes 2 years before they will bloom?

Where do you live?

Perennials usually take 2 seasons to develop...they have to mature a bit before they get big enough to bloom....but if you are in a warmer climate, you might get blooms by next year if you plant now....Ron had good info in that on his post.

 

[seedcorn]

west of Ft. Wayne, IN. NE Indiana

Can I start them inside, then somehow force them to hibernate, then plant next spring?

 

[Lavender2]

I am in zone 5, last frost is around May 15.
I start coneflowers inside in mid Feb. Over 50% of mine bloom the first year from seed, but much more prolific the second year.
I have started 'Bravado', 'Magnus', E. purpuria, and white.

I sort of mash the dried seed head on a paper plate, mature seeds will fall out.

Most of the new hybrid coneflowers cannot be grown from seed. They are cultivated hybrids and will not come true, will not produce viable seed or possibly any seed. If you find that the cultivar you're trying to grow from seed is only available by plant this is most likely the case, and why the plants are so costly.

cwhit... I have to get to my coneflower heads before the chickadees and finches... they rob the seed as it matures.
I do leave some for them tho...

Those second year blooms are surely worth the wait...

 

[obsessed]

That is such a pretty pretty picture. I love it.

I have been planning my garden for a while now and I piced pink, white and pastel lavender to lavender flowers. so I will start my conflowers this winter to see how they get going.