Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’

WHITE SWAN CONEFLOWER

Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’
WHITE SWAN CONEFLOWER

Large sunrays of snowy white, reflexed petals, around showy mahogany-copper cones make Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’ sparkle in the garden.

Abundant white flowers bloom through to first frost, on well branched stems.
And these stout strong stems do not need any staking.
White Swan is an compact grower, with profuse, long blooming, so she is rated as one of the most elegant of all the much loved Echinacea family.

White Swan gives excellent cut flowers, to use either fresh or dried.
The cones are also decorative on the plant long after the petals have dropped.
So gardeners often leave the cones to stand through winter, providing both visual structure, and feed for small native seed eating birds such as Finches.

This hardy native of the North American prairies enjoys Full Sun to Light Shade.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’ is a very unfussy, low maintenance plant.
S0 she grows happily in just about any well drained soil.

Once established it is water-wise plant, that needs only minimal extra watering, and can survive dry spells well.
It is robustly frost hardy, but also tolerant of humidity in the air.
Pests or diseases rarely if ever trouble Echinacea.
And even rabbits and deer tend to leave it way down on their menu card.

Compact 80cm H x 45cm neat foliage clump.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Sow at any time of year in punnets indoors / or scatter in garden late winter & spring or late summer & autumn.

INDOORS: Sow in punnets on surface of good quality seed raising mix, moistened through.
Press gently. Light is needed for germination, so only barely cover.

Keep moist. 20-24°C approx. optimum for rapid germination.

Germination may start after just 5 days and may take up to 20 days.
Echinacea will flower in 11 to 15 weeks from sowing so Flowers are possible in the first year.

Prick out seedlings once large enough to handle into 7.5cm pots to grow on before planting out in spring in well drained soil.

SEED COUNT: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

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