Bush's purple-coneflower

Year-round

Bush's coneflower, also called yellow coneflower, is a native wildflower of the Ozark Plateau in Missouri and Arkansas, grown here as a garden plant. It forms an upright clump of narrow, hairy leaves with slender stems topped by drooping yellow ray petals around a dark, brownish center cone.

• Give it full sun to light shade and well-drained soil; it tolerates clay, loam, or sandy sites and does best without heavy watering once established.
• A deep taproot makes it drought tolerant, but stems can flop in rich soil or too much shade; plant it with sturdier neighbors or stake it if needed.
• Deadhead spent blooms to keep the plant tidy through the season, or leave some seed heads standing for birds.
• It has few pest or disease problems; occasional Japanese beetle or leaf spot damage is cosmetic.

Kept in a defined bed and staked if it starts to flop, its upright clump and cheerful yellow blooms read as an intentional perennial planting.

Fall

Bloom tapers off by fall; seed heads can be left standing for wildlife or cut back for a tidier look.

• Leave a portion of seed heads for goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
• Cut back spent foliage after frost, or leave it through winter and clean up in early spring.
• Fall is a good time to divide or transplant if the clump has outgrown its space.

Winter

The plant dies back to its taproot and crown for winter, going fully dormant.

• No watering or feeding is needed while dormant.
• Leave a couple inches of old stems if seed heads are still feeding birds, otherwise cut back for a neater bed.
• Good drainage matters most in winter; avoid low spots that hold water.

A cut-back bed over winter looks intentional and low-maintenance rather than neglected.

Spring

Spring is when new basal growth emerges and the clump begins bolting toward its late spring to early summer bloom.

• New leaves emerge from the crown as temperatures warm; keep the area weeded so seedlings are not crowded out.
• Divide overcrowded clumps in early spring if needed.
• Watch for the first flower stalks to appear in late spring.

Summer

Peak bloom runs from late spring into midsummer, with each stem holding a single yellow-rayed flower head.

• Water only during extended dry spells; established plants tolerate summer heat well.
• Stake or support floppy stems, especially after summer storms.
• Deadhead to extend bloom, or let some heads mature for seed.

Regular deadheading through summer keeps the bed looking tended.