Echinacea purpurea PowWow White (Coneflower)

Very floriferous, Echinacea purpurea PowWow White is a luminous coneflower with large, pure white flowers, 4 in. across (10 cm), adorned with a skirt of wide, overlapping, downward-arching petals surrounding a golden yellow cone. Well branched, its numerous flowering stems are sturdy and held upright. An early bloomer, this great-looking perennial has a compact habit and shines in the garden from early to late summer, sometimes with additional sporadic bloom until frost. Perfect for small gardens and containers.

• Grows up to 18-24 in. tall (45-60 cm) and 12-16 in. wide (30-40 cm). Freely self-seeds if at least some seed heads are left in place.
• Thrives in full sun in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerant to drought, heat, and humidity.
• Perfect choice for beds and borders, prairies and meadows, wildflower gardens, or cottage gardens.
• Excellent as cut flowers. If flower heads are not removed in the fall, the blackened cones will be visited by birds that feed on the seeds.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, but deer resistant.
• Remove spent flowers and cut back the stems to encourage further blooms.
• Propagate by seed, division in spring or fall, or by root cuttings from late fall to early winter.

Echinacea, commonly called Coneflower, has been cultivated as a hardy and showy perennial since the 1700s, both in North America and Europe. Truly an American plant, native to the central and eastern part of the country, it was used by the early Native Americans to cure wounds and infections. A great prairie flower, its bright and large blossoms made a successful transition to the backyard. Traditionally purple, with ray flowers that droop downward off the central cone, Coneflowers today enjoy a rich variety of colors and flower shapes with ray florets held horizontal, single or even doubled, giving them the look of Chrysanthemum. Easily grown from seed, they thrive on neglect.