Echinacea Autumn Beauty is a beautiful mixture of different colours of Echinacea. This mixture contains beautiful, large flowers in various bright and beautiful colours. The following colours are represented: white, cream, red, yellow and orange. The flowers of this plant have an average diameter of 9 - 10 cm. The centre of the flowers is spherical and has a striking contrast of dark brown and greenish-yellow colours. The petals hang downwards. The beautiful, large flowers are surrounded by dark green, serrated leaves and stand on sturdy stems. Echinacea originates from North America. In North America, this plant is mainly found on the prairie. Echinacea Autumn Beauty is a member of the Composite family (Asteraceae), as are: Achilles, Wormwood, Aster, Endive, Cosmos, Thistle, Marigold, Cornflower, Daisy, Milk Thistle, Marguerite, Dandelion and Sunflower. Echinacea is also known as Coneflower and American Coneflower.
These flowers are very suitable as cut flowers. It is also used as a medicinal plant. Echinacea is mainly used to boost the immune system and combat flu, colds and sore throats. According to some sources, it isn't advisable for pregnant and breastfeeding women to use Echinacea. Echinacea Autumn Beauty is also very suitable for cultivation in bee and butterfly gardens, wild gardens and natural gardens. Plant Echinacea Autumn Beauty in a sunny, sheltered, well-fertilised spot with well-drained soil. Give this plant some partial shade if necessary. This plant flowers when sown early in the year in the same year after sowing. If sown later, it will flower in the second year after sowing. Echinecae blooms from July till September. Echinacea is also very popular with bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Semi-hardy perennial. Height: 70 - 80 cm.
Indoor sowing: mid-March - mid-April
Outdoor sowing: mid-April - mid-May
Germination: 8 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: shallow - 3 mm
Plant distance: 25 - 35 cm
Sowing distance between the rows: 25 cm
Plantposition: sunny - half shade
Flowering period: July - October
Sow indoors from mid-March. Sow in trays filled with moist and well-loosened potting soil. Sow thinly and shallowly and do not cover the seeds, but press them gently. Keep the seeds well moist and warm Cover the trays with a lid to keep the moisture in. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let it drop especially at night. Remove the lid as soon as the seedlings emerge.Transplant the seedlings into separate pots as soon as they are big enough to handle.
In early May, the young plantlets can be put outside during the day to harden off. Harden off the plantlets for 10 - 14 days. After this, put them in the open ground in a sunny, sheltered spot with well-loosened and well-watered soil. If necessary, give the plants semi-shade. Keep the Echinacea plants 25 - 35 cm apart.
Sow outdoors from mid-April, as soon as there is no chance of night frost. Sow shallowly and thinly and do not cover the seeds, but press or rake them gently into the soil. Provide a sunny, sheltered spot with well-loosened and well-drained soil. If necessary, provide semi-shade. Thin out the seedlings at 25 - 35 cm, once they are large enough to handle. Remove spent flowers, so Echinacea will continue to flower from July to October.
