
Coneflowers have raised cone-like centers (hence, their name, which attract butterflies and bees. After bloom, the seed heads attract songbirds, such as goldfinches. These fast growers reach 2 to 4 feet in height, flower from midsummer through fall frost, and self-sow prolifically.
#When to transplant purple coneflower how to
They are native to the eastern and central United States, extending from Colorado south to Texas and north to the Great Lakes. Here’s how to grow this American native in your garden. Woodbury is curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve, and is Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native! program adviser.Coneflowers, aka Echinacea, are tough upright perennials in the daisy family (Asteraceae). Here are a few plants to consider for fall division and transplanting: shining blue star, iris, sedges, wild ginger, barren strawberry, spiderwort, alumroot, purple coneflower, blue sage, wild bergamot, prairie coreopsis, goatsbeard, Robin’s plantain/spring daisy, woodland stonecrop, pussytoes, mountain mint, Solomon’s seal, golden ragwort, mistflower, black-eyed Susan, phlox and rose verbena.

Fill empty garden spaces, remove and replace what isn’t working, construct a trellis and plant vines, plant a privacy hedge, add beautiful fall-fruiting shrubs, or start a pollinator garden. With cool September days arriving, get back outdoors to fulfill the native garden ideas that have been steeping all summer. Never transplant mature gentian, larkspur, catchfly or bunchflower. Other plants don’t like transplanting at all. When big, these plants are best left alone. Examples include prairie dropseed, Indian grass, big bluestem, little bluestem, eastern gamagrass, and some sedges. Large grass clumps have a root mass becomes that is tough and nearly impossible to split. These include plants like milkweeds, pale purple coneflower, compass plant and wild indigo. You can successfully transplant young or small tap-rooted plants, but consider leaving older plants alone. The bigger and older these plants are, the more likely they will suffer or die in the transplant. Some plants are difficult to divide because of deep taproots. Keep plants moist throughout the entire process. Cut around the remainder of the half clump and remove. Then, make the first shovel cut through the center of the plant clump. Begin this method by first cutting back the foliage.


The second method leaves half of the plant untouched in the ground and digs the other half out, reducing plant stress on the one remaining in place. One method is to dig up the entire plant: Cut it in half, thirds, or quarters depending on the size of the root mass. This will reduce stress on the plants at their new location.ĭig in one of two ways. TIME TO TRANSPLANT: Successfully relocating plants requires watering before, during and after the transplant. Cut plant stems or leaf area in half to reduce wilting and to make digging and handling easier.

This will maximize blooming from year to year.įor success, water the areas where plants both are dug and transplanted one to two days in advance. Also, it is best to divide very large plants like poppy mallow and sunflower in spring. It's time to start planning to dig, divide and transplant perennial native plants.Ī general rule of thumb is to divide spring- or summer-blooming plants in fall, and late-summer- or fall-blooming plants in the spring.
