Question abt PowWow Wild Berry Coneflowers...

9 years ago

I have been working with coneflowers this summer,and
Following advice from BG forum members have established
Abt 13 sprouted seedlings growing well with 3 out of their 8"
Pots and in the ground.Those in the ground have really started
To increase in size of leaf and height so they must like their
Permanent places and I am now looking for permanent spots
For the rest.All of these coneflowers are Echinacea purpurea
And will be grown on the place as perennials if they thrive.

Last Monday I went to the garden center at Lowes,and I found
These large containers(abt 1.50)of flowers seated inside heavy
1.50Gal heavy plastic dark brown Bushel basket containers
Complete with a drainage hole.

The whole concept seemed to be planned for patios and container
Gardeners.
But it was the flowers that I just stopped and stared at.
They were the huge PowWows,and I had never seen any
Before.Actually,I usually only see the other coneflowers in
Photos in magazines;the plant is new to me when it comes
To growing them so I have read abt their soil and other needs.

Anyway the PowWows look healthy and strong.There are 3 plants
To the container,and all of them have the very bushy bases,but
At 18" tall they do have already abt 11 blooms even though new
Unopened blooms are coming on.

I am used to deadheading my orange cosmos,mouse ear coreopsis,
And zinnias so they will bloom until the time I stop so they can set seed.
I don't do it for "looks" I do it because these 3 are much used for nectar
For a long season(my zone) by these eastern woodland butterflies.

I would really like to keep some of these huge PowWow blooms
On the plants until they can be removed for seed saving because
Some of them are going to be "spent" soon( I can tell).So,how long
Do I have to leave them(even if I only hold just one over)?
I talked to a lady at the garden center;we were both standing at
The table by the coneflowers.She said hers self-seeded and came
Back up the next season but I don't know if it continued.

After checking on Echinacea on Perennials I did learn that
Some who tried new varieties complained abt loss of plants
But PowWows and the old "White Swans"? We're not complained
On.

Anyway I would appreciate anyone who knows when a "spent"
Bloom can be removed for saving for seed to post.

Thanks,

Comments (3)

MissSherry
9 years ago
I keep close watch over the spent blooms on my one coneflower plant until the seeds begin to fall. I'm never sure when they're ripe, but, at that point, I know they're ready! :)

You mentioned somebody said hers self-seeded, but coneflowers, at least mine, are perennials, actually, they keep some green leaves at the base all through winter, though most turn brown.

Whenever I've tried to grow the fancy, huge hybrids, they fail, don't bloom much, then die. Mine come from the seeds of some that were found alongside a road in north Louisiana. They may be a native variety or a named variety that escaped.

Good luck with PowWow!

Sherry
Slatewiper
9 years ago
You really have to be wary of the cultivars of purple coneflower. First off you can't expect seed saved from these varieties to breed true. Second, many if not most of the cultivars are less effective than the wild type at attracting butterflies. I have three types of coneflowers. The wild type, the powwow type, and one called tomato something or another. The wild type is by far the best at bringing in the butterflies. The powwow is the worst and will be pulled at the end of the season. The tomato is only marginally better.
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bernergrrl
9 years ago
Completely agree with Slatewiper. Plant the Pow Wow for its blooms for you, but it won't fill the ecological role straight native plants do. The Pow Wow has been bred for its flower, not for its nectar or pollen, which it might not even have. The bees, butterflies may not even be able to use it. Wonder if birds eat the seeds of these cultivars?

Native plants have evolved along the eons with bees, butterflies and the other animals; they need each other.