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Echinacea purpurea Virgin - Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea Virgin

4,4/5
7 reviews
2 reviews
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1 reviews

Well-developed young plants. Pretty flowers already - it's great to plant in spring....

Rose, rouge et blanc, 17/06/2025

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

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Graden Merit
This echinacea forms a compact, sturdy clump, bearing large, fragrant flowers composed of horizontal white ligules or petals arranged around a green cone in summer. Its flowers pair well with grasses and meadow perennials. Give it full sun and fertile, well-drained soil that does not remain waterlogged in winter.
Flower size
7 cm
Height at maturity
60 cm
Spread at maturity
40 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -20.5°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to May, September to November
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Flowering time June to August
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Description

Echinacea purpurea 'Virgin' is a compact, floriferous white coneflower that is easy to incorporate into summer borders. Its large fragrant flowers, opening around a green cone, follow on from one another for several weeks. It naturally pairs well with grasses, blue or purple blooms, and perennials with a lighter habit. Insects forage on it, and its flowers last well in a vase.

This coneflower belongs to the Asteraceae family. The species Echinacea purpurea is called purple coneflower or purple rudbeckia. In the wild, it grows in the central and eastern United States, in moist prairies, meadows, woodland edges and open woods. It is a herbaceous perennial: its foliage dies back in winter, then regrows from the rootstock in spring. 'Virgin' is a selection by Piet Oudolf, protected in the United States by a patent granted in 2008. This cultivar has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The plant forms an upright clump, about 60cm tall in flower, with a spread of 40 to 50cm. Its sturdy stems are branched, but they are more upright if the plant grows in sun, in soil that is not too rich. The mid-green leaves are oval to lanceolate, rough to the touch, slightly toothed on the edges. Flowering begins in June or July and continues until August-September depending on climate and soil moisture. The flowers are actually daisy-like heads: in 'Virgin', the white ligules form the outer crown, while the domed centre has many small fertile florets. This cone starts apple green, then takes on more orange to brown tones as it matures. The heads measure 6 to 8cm in diameter depending on growing conditions. Their fragrance is sweet and light, more noticeable if many flowers open at once. After flowering, the dried cones remain decorative and provide food for some birds at the end of the season.

In the garden, this 'Virgin' variety finds its place in a sunny border, a white bed, or a naturalistic planting mixed with easy-going perennials. Plant in groups of three or five plants to form a light patch amid the foliage. It can be paired with Agastache 'Blue Boa', whose lilac spikes contrast with its white flowers, and grasses such as Panicum virgatum 'Northwind', quite blue and very upright, in the background. Eryngium zabelii Big Blue® brings metallic blue heads and a drier texture. In late summer, Aster laevis 'Calliope' takes over with its small blue-mauve flowers and dark stems.

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Echinaceas : sowing, growing and care
Family sheet
by Virginie T. 18 min.
Echinaceas : sowing, growing and care
Read article

Echinacea purpurea Virgin - Coneflower in pictures

Echinacea purpurea Virgin - Coneflower (Flowering) Flowering
Echinacea purpurea Virgin - Coneflower (Foliage) Foliage

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time June to August
Inflorescence Flower head
Flower size 7 cm
Fragrance slightly scented
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 60 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Echinacea

Species

purpurea

Cultivar

Virgin

Family

Asteraceae

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference76281

Planting and care

Plant Echinacea purpurea 'Virgin' in spring or early autumn, in warm, well-prepared soil. Choose a sunny position: that's where it flowers best and produces the firmest stems. Light partial shade is tolerated in warm regions, but shade reduces flowering and spoils the plant's upright habit. The ideal soil is deep, fertile, loosened, damp in spring, but always well-drained. It tolerates chalky, sandy or clayey soil if water does not stagnate in winter. In heavy soil, lighten the planting area with well-rotted compost and a little grit. Water regularly in the first year, then only during long dry spells. Avoid excessive fertiliser, which leads to softer stems. Divide every three or four years in spring, when the clump becomes less floriferous.

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Edge of border
Hardiness Hardy down to -20.5°C (USDA zone 6b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 5 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil rich, deep, well-drained

Care

Pruning instructions Cut off faded flowers to prolong flowering, or keep some cones at the end of the season for their ornamental value and seeds. Prune the dry stems at the end of winter.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March, July to August
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,4/5

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