Combining coneflowers and ornamental grasses creates a garden display rich in texture and movement. These plants bring a naturalistic aesthetic to any landscape. Their distinct forms and seasonal transformations offer continuous visual appeal throughout the growing season and into the colder months.
The Perfect Pairing
Coneflowers and ornamental grasses naturally complement each other, forming an ideal garden partnership. Coneflowers, with their daisy-like blooms and upright stems, provide vibrant color and a structured vertical element. Ornamental grasses offer contrasting fine textures, graceful arching forms, and subtle hues, adding dynamic softness as they sway in the breeze. This combination also supports local ecosystems; coneflowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, while the seed heads of both plants can provide winter food for birds. Once established, both plant types are resilient and require minimal upkeep. They generally thrive in similar conditions, simplifying their combined care.
Selecting Complementary Varieties
Choosing the right varieties of coneflowers and ornamental grasses is important for a cohesive and thriving planting. Coneflowers (Echinacea) come in various colors and sizes, ranging from traditional purples to whites, oranges, and yellows. The classic Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a robust choice, growing 2 to 4 feet tall with prominent, often drooping, petals. For different shades, ‘White Swan’ offers elegant white blooms, while ‘Green Jewel’ presents unusual greenish petals. Smaller varieties, such as ‘Tweety’ (8 inches tall) or ‘Piccolino’ (9-12 inches tall), are suitable for the front of a border or containers.
Ornamental grasses also offer diverse options in height, texture, and color. For a medium-height backdrop, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) provides soft, feathery plumes and typically grows 1 to 4 feet tall. Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) creates strong vertical accents, reaching up to 6 feet with wheat-like plumes. For a more compact option, Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) forms tidy, blue-gray mounds about a foot tall, offering striking color contrast. Switchgrass varieties like ‘Northwind’ can grow quite tall, up to 6-7 feet, with sturdy upright forms and olive to blue-green foliage that turns golden in autumn.
Designing Your Garden Layout
Arrangement of coneflowers and ornamental grasses enhances their visual impact within the garden. A common design strategy involves layering, where taller grasses are positioned behind shorter coneflowers to create depth and provide a contrasting backdrop. For instance, a tall ‘Northwind’ Switchgrass could anchor the rear of a bed, with ‘Magnus’ Purple Coneflowers placed in front. Massing plants in groups of three or more creates a stronger visual statement than single specimens and contributes to a more natural, meadow-like appearance.
Consider the mature size of both coneflowers and grasses when planning your layout, allowing adequate spacing for air circulation and growth. Coneflowers generally require 1 to 3 feet of space between plants, depending on the variety, while ornamental grasses can need 1 to 4 feet.
Planting and Establishment
Planting coneflowers and ornamental grasses begins with proper site preparation. Choose a location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should be well-drained, as both plants dislike standing water. Amending the soil with compost can improve drainage and provide beneficial organic matter.
When planting, dig a hole twice as wide as the plant’s root ball and approximately the same depth. Remove the plant from its container, gently loosening any circling roots. Position the plant in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Backfill the hole with soil, lightly tamping it down to remove air pockets, and then water thoroughly to settle the soil. Consistent watering after planting is important to help the plants establish a strong root system.
Ongoing Care
Once established, coneflowers and ornamental grasses are relatively low-maintenance. While both are drought-tolerant, they benefit from moderate watering during dry spells to encourage vigorous growth and flowering. Allow the soil to dry out somewhat between waterings to prevent issues like root rot. Fertilization is often not necessary for these plants; a thin layer of compost applied around the base in spring can replenish soil nutrients.
Deadheading coneflowers, which involves removing spent blooms, can encourage additional flowering and extend their display. However, leaving some faded flowers on the plant allows them to self-seed and provides a food source for birds in the fall and winter. Ornamental grasses typically require cutting back annually. For warm-season grasses, this is best done in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges, usually to a few inches above the ground. Cool-season grasses should be cut back in very early spring, leaving about one-third of the plant in place.