too tall pink coneflowers.

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nutcase Huntingdon Valley, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 11, 2009

Hi! Does anyone know why my 3-4 year old coneflowers of the common pink variety grow over 6 feet? They are in bright sunshine, but I don't water them enough, or fertilize them at all. Yet they have spread a lot since I've first planted them. They look like they belong at the back of the border instead of at the front of the border hiding all of my smaller plants. Help!!!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 11, 2009

Since you're not watering them a lot or fertilizing them, I think you'll probably be stuck with them at that height so your best bet if you don't like them where they are is to move them to the back of the border. Is your soil really rich? Could be in a leaner soil you could keep them a bit shorter. Or if they're taller this year than they have been in the past it could be from rain--I don't know if your area got abnormally high rainfall this year but I know many areas did and that could make them grow taller than they would in a typical year. But even normal height coneflowers are usually too tall to be front of the border plants, so they would probably look best a bit farther back anyway.

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nutcase Huntingdon Valley, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 11, 2009

Thank you, ecrane3. They've been high since I got them a few years ago, and the weather then was very different. We're unusually cold and wet here in PA. I guess I'll move them in the fall when they are done blooming. The soil is heavy clay, but has earthworms, so it may have some nutrients. Anyway, thanks a lot.

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SW_gardener (Zone 6a) Jul 14, 2009

nutcase, If you have a picture of your coneflowers I'd love to see it!

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duck_toller Middleton, WI(Zone 4b) Jul 14, 2009

me too! pictures. I could use some tall ones. Interested in sharing seeds?

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Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) Jul 15, 2009

nutcase I was at a park yesterday and saw some purple coneflowers that were 5-6 feet tall, they looked like echinacea magnus, there were some shorter ones around too. These were in a hot dry spot. I wish I had taken a picture with my cell phone.

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SW_gardener (Zone 6a) Jul 15, 2009

mine never grow more then 3 or 4 feet so I'd love to see some that would be over my head or eye level!

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Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) Jul 15, 2009

they were over MY head lol my own purple coneflowers are only 2 -2 1/2 feet tall, but I just planted last year or the year before.

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NoGreenThumbnTN Jackson, TN(Zone 7b) Aug 01, 2009

Nutcase

I don't know for sure...but could it be that they are ready to be divided? I read that after the third season they need to be divided.

Along with everyone else...I'd love to see pictures of them! Coneflowers are my most favorite flower of all!

Lisa

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