Companion Plantings With Cone Flowers

The basic concept behind companion planting is a simple one--some plants look or perform better when planted near certain others. Often practiced as a means of natural pest control, companion planting is also used to balance soil, provide protection from wind or sun and increase visual appeal. Coneflowers (Echinacea) are perennials with large daisy-like blossoms. They are often combined with garden phlox, black-eyed Susan, Russian sage and lavender, among others.

Companion plants must be able to tolerate similar environments while complementing one another's needs. Coneflowers prefer loamy, well-drained soil and can't tolerate excessive soil moisture. Plant your coneflowers with other plants, such as lavender, daylily, coreopsis and black-eyed Susan that have similar soil needs.

Coneflowers do best in full sunlight. Though they are often grouped with other full-sunlight perennials, such as garden phlox, yarrow and black-eyed Susan, shade-tolerant varieties, such as Russian sage and daylilly offer less sunlight competition and can be used to add color to shadier areas or your garden.

Some plants, such as marigolds, naturally repel nuisance insects and are commonly used as companion plants. Coneflowers, however, are naturally pest resistant and don't require much pest control help. They are sometimes bothered by leafhoppers, Japanese beetles and thrips. If needed, you can plant rue, tansy or basil near your cone flowers to naturally repel these insects. Rue and tansy repel Japanese beetles while basil repels thrips.

Coneflowers can be beneficial as companion plants themselves due to their role in pollination. Their fragrance attracts bees and butterflies, making them useful when planted near vegetables and fruit. You can also take advantage of your coneflower's height to protect shorter plants from wind and other elements. For spacial variety, you may want to combine your coneflowers with shorter plants, such as catmint, salvia, phlox and veronica.

You might group your coneflowers with plants such as rosemary, coreopsis, thyme, daylily and lavender to create a pleasing combination of color, scent and texture. Since coneflowers are attractive to butterflies, they are a great choice for a butterfly garden. Try grouping them with black-eyed Susan, Russian sage, butterfly flower or garden phlox to attract an array of butterflies.