Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Wednesday - August 03, 2011

From: Powthan , VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Propagation, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Reproducing Echinacea 'Sunbeam' from Powthan VA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I would like to reproduce a flowering plant- Sundown echinacea. I have a plant now. Can you give me info on how to do it? thanks so much.

ANSWER:

From Fine Gardening Echinaceae 'Sunbeam'-this gives the most complete information that we found on the culture of the plant, and the fact that it is a hybrid between North American natives Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower) and Echinacea paradoxa (Yellow coneflower). It also has the information that propagation is by division, every 3 or 4 years.

More information and pictures from Paghat's Garden Orange Coneflower 'Sunbeam'.

From our webpage on Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower):

"Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Seeds may be sown outside in late fall or stored, stratified and sown in the spring. Plants can be multiplied by making root divisions in early spring however division seems to stimulate the development of too many stems and too few flowers.
Seed Collection: Collect mature seedheads in the fall and break them open to extract seeds.
Seed Treatment: Cold-moist stratification for two months improves germination."

The problem there is that this plant is a hybrid, and the seeds of a hybrid will either revert to one or the other of the parents, or be sterile, and not germinate at all. If you do get seeds, birds will help you with them; finches love the seeds.

From West Coast Seeds:

"A hybrid is created by crossing two unique parents. Crossing involves taking the pollen from the male and transferring it to the female. The first generation of offspring from this cross all look and act the same. They also show what's known as hybrid vigour: these plants come out stronger than their parents. But you can't plant their seed in order to raise these plants the following year. The seed collected from a hybrid plant will either resemble one of the parents, or be sterile."

So, in order to reproduce your one plant, you will first need to wait until it is 3 or 4 years old, assuming it is vigorous and has spread into a clump, and divide the clump into several individual plants. From Auburn University Horticulture, here are instructions on Division, which includes instructions and illustrations.

We don't know if you are in a hurry to get more plants; if you are, purchasing some more bedding plants to grow more clumps is about the only "fast" way to do it. As they, along with the plant you already have, get old enough to be divided, then you can divide again for more plants. By then, you may be tired of the whole thing, but you did ask. Division is ordinarily best done in late Fall or early Spring.

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea

Yellow coneflower
Echinacea paradoxa

More Herbs/Forbs Questions

Year-round flowering in Laredo TX
May 18, 2011 - I'm trying to plant a variety of native plants in my mom's garden in Laredo, TX. The thing that I find a challenge is that she wants year round flowers. Can you suggest a few native flowering plan...
view the full question and answer

Straggler daisy as a ground cover in Florida
April 21, 2015 - I live in Hillsborough county,FL. My yard has two large oak trees and is very shady. I am looking for a shade resistant ground cover that will do well for a yard used by children to play. I was told...
view the full question and answer

Plants indigenous to Sedona, AZ
July 07, 2010 - I live in Sedona AZ and I want to plant indigenous plants in my garden. Is there a list of AZ native plants shrubs and trees that are indigenous to Sedona? If there is no list that is specific f...
view the full question and answer

Shade tolerant plants for erosion from Austin
May 03, 2014 - I live in Austin and my house backs up to Shoal Creek. I am looking for a native creeping vine or something that will grow on the shaded bank to help prevent erosion. It should be able to tolerate the...
view the full question and answer

Propagation of quincula lobata from Alleyton TX
July 20, 2011 - Quincula lobata..how to propagate and when?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.