{"product_id":"echinacea-white-swan-plants","title":"Echinacea White Swan","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e White Swan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLatin name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan'\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Herbaceous perennial\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower:\u003c\/strong\u003e White petals with orange-brown cone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 80cm (2½ft)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpread:\u003c\/strong\u003e 45cm (18in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering:\u003c\/strong\u003e July–September\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fairly Hardy (H5)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePruning:\u003c\/strong\u003e Leave seedheads through winter for birds; cut back in spring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRHS AGM:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pot-grown plants\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant outdoors:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring, in full sun with well-drained soil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivered:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and summer. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/collect-your-order-from-castle-cary\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCollection from Castle Cary\u003c\/a\u003e also available.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEchinacea purpurea 'White Swan' is a white coneflower with drooping white petals around a prominent orange-brown cone, reaching 80cm from July to September. Larger and more upright than Pow Wow Wild Berry, it is one of the most reliable and widely grown white echinacea — easy to establish, drought tolerant, and excellent for late summer colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhite Swan – The White Coneflower That Actually Works\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhite echinaceas have a patchy reputation — some of the newer white and near-white hybrids are less reliably perennial than the straight purple species, more expensive, and in some cases notably short-lived. White Swan is the exception: a straight selection of Echinacea purpurea that has been grown successfully in British gardens for decades and is as robustly perennial as the coloured forms. The white petals droop slightly from the prominent orange-brown cone — characteristic of the species — giving the flower a slightly reflexed form that is more elegant and less blunt than the flat-petalled coneflower shape. At 80cm it is taller than Pow Wow Wild Berry and has more presence in a border.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhite Swan is one of those plants that earns more appreciation in the garden than it gets in the catalogue. A group of three in full flower in August, with the white petals catching whatever light is available, provides a brightness in the late summer border that yellow and orange cannot match. The seedheads develop the same spiny texture as all echinacea cones and are equally attractive to finches through winter. Like all Echinacea purpurea, it is H5 — hardy in most UK gardens with good drainage, but not recommended for heavy wet clay without amendment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCompanions for White Swan\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhite Swan flowers in July through September — peak late summer — and its companions should acknowledge this season. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/echinacea-pow-wow-wild-berry-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEchinacea Pow Wow Wild Berry\u003c\/a\u003e at 50cm in deep rose-purple is the natural pairing — different height, complementary colour, identical season and conditions. For an earlier-starting companion at the same white tone, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/anemone-snow-angel-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAnemone Snow Angel\u003c\/a\u003e takes over in August just as echinacea reaches its peak, extending white through to October. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/achillea-summer-pastels-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAchillea Summer Pastels\u003c\/a\u003e fills the June and July gap with flat mixed-colour heads at a complementary height. The \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ornamental-grass-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eornamental grasses\u003c\/a\u003e complete the naturalistic prairie picture behind and between the coneflowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Ashridge?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe use peat-free compost and biological pest controls. White Swan is the white echinacea we stock with genuine confidence — none of the reliability concerns that attach to some newer white hybrids, and an established garden track record that the more exotic selections lack. Every plant is guaranteed. See the full \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/perennial-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eperennial collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Echinacea White Swan easy to grow?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — it is one of the more reliable white echinaceas, without the relative fragility of some newer white and cream hybrid selections. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, and it will establish reliably and return year after year. The main requirement is drainage; in wet heavy clay, amend with grit or plant on a slight mound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between Echinacea White Swan and Pow Wow Wild Berry?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight and colour. White Swan reaches 80cm with white petals; Pow Wow Wild Berry reaches 50cm with deep rose-purple petals. Both are Echinacea purpurea selections with the same orange-brown central cone, the same late summer season, and the same cultural requirements. They pair naturally together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes Echinacea White Swan attract butterflies?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — the flat-topped, accessible flower form is attractive to a range of butterflies, including peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell, and various skipper species. The long flowering season from July to September coincides with peak butterfly activity in most UK gardens. Bumblebees work the flowers intensively, and the seedheads attract finches through winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I cut Echinacea White Swan for vases?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — it is a good cut flower. Cut when the petals are just beginning to open, condition in deep water overnight, and it will last ten days to two weeks in a vase. The orange-brown cone is part of the appeal in an arrangement — it adds a warm accent that complements the white petals rather than clashing with them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I get Echinacea White Swan to spread?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDivision in spring, every three or four years, is the most reliable method. Dig up the whole clump, split into sections with a spade, and replant immediately. Echinacea can also be raised from seed, though seed-raised plants may vary in colour — White Swan seedlings are usually white or near-white but not guaranteed. Leave a few heads to set seed if you want a naturalising colony.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ashridge Nurseries","offers":[{"title":"Potted \/ P9","offer_id":56371958645062,"sku":"PEREECHPURWHSW-P9","price":7.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/echinacea-white-swan-flowers.webp?v=1776753770","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/echinacea-white-swan-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}