This means seeds from the seed pods can fall to the ground in the fall and seedlings will grow in the spring after winter. Planting Coneflower SeedsĬoneflower are naturally self-seeding. This article may contain affiliate links. Continue to deadhead other sections of the grouping and continue to enjoy flowers to frost. Start to leave some flower heads on the grouping in mid summer to develop seeds. If you have a mature group of Coneflowers, you can save seeds and keep flowers blooming at the same time. With consistent deadheading, you can create a full branchy plant with lots of flowers. When deadheaded, it grows new branches which produce whole new sets of buds. The coneflower plant has an upright branching growth habit. See Do Coneflowers Come In Different Colors? for varieties and colors of these amazing flowers Dates will help you keep your collection fresh. It’s best to rotate out your oldest collections so you always have the most viable seeds available when needed. If you save lots of different seeds every year, mark your containers with identification of the seeds and the date. Dry seeds are prime winter food for rodents, so be sure that they are stored somewhere where they will not become winter sustenance for critters. Sealed plastic bags are not ideal because they hold moisture that may allow mold to develop. I prefer to keep seeds in paper bags or envelopes. Store dry seeds in baby food jars, pill bottles or plastic containers. Store Echinacea seeds in a cool dry place. Developed seeds are hard and cannot be crushed. There will be some triangular shapes that look like seeds, but will crush when pressed with the edge of a fingernail. Remove the seed pods and the seeds will be in the bottom of the container. Cover with lid and shake the container well. *Put the heads in a plastic container with room to bounce around. If the seeds don’t drop out, let the head sit for another week or two to dry. *Put the dry seed pod into a paper bag and shake to loosen the seeds. The center cone can be used in the compost pile. Chaff will be extra bits of material that are part of what formed the center of the flower head and are not needed. Separate the spikes from the seeds and chaff. Wait a couple more weeks for the seed pod to dry. If spikes don’t break off or pull out from the center easily then the seed head is not dry enough. *Break spikes off down to center cone and drop into a container. Work around the entire ball to release all the seeds. It’s best to do this inside a paper bag or container, because the seeds tend to shoot out from the stiffer spikes as they spring back. You can do this with your fingers or a flat tool such as a knife. *Gently push the spikes sideways so the seeds fall out. *The seed head can be tapped and many of the seeds will just fall out. The dried petals do not affect where the seeds are stored so they can be removed first. There are several methods that can be used to remove coneflower seeds from the spiky seed pod. How To Remove Echinacea Seeds From The Seed Pod Sometimes the spikes are flexible and sometimes they are very stiff. The coneflower seed pod (the center of the flower) holds the seeds deep within stiff spikes with needle-like ends. Choose evenly rounded heads that don’t have bumpy growths or coatings that may be mold or fungus. If birds are stealing your seeds, consider covering the flower heads with mesh.Ĭhoose the darkest seed pods since they are the driest. The birds have helped themselves to the seeds as they ripened. This perennial Purple Coneflower has seed pods that are ready to be harvested. The seed pod is the center of the flower head. The seeds are hard triangular shapes with tiny spikes on the wide end. What Does a Coneflower Seed Look Like?Ībove are seeds from a Purple Coneflower. See what Coneflower seeds look like, how to remove them and how to grow your own Echinacea plants. Harvesting Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) seeds are easy when you understand how they are formed.
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