Magnus Echinacea is a stunning perennial coneflower that earned the 1998 Perennial Plants Association Plant of the Year Award for good reason. These sturdy plants produce large, flat-petaled flowers in a pale pink that feels almost ethereal against their prominent central cones. Growing 36, 48 inches tall and reaching maturity in 70, 79 days, Magnus thrives in hardiness zones 3, 9 and makes an exceptional choice for cut flower gardens or permanent perennial borders.
Full Sun
—
3-9
48in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
What sets Magnus apart is its award-winning flower form: unusually large blooms with perfectly flat petals that hold their elegance whether standing in the garden or in a vase. The pale pink coloring gives it a softer presence than other coneflowers, earning it recognition as the classic purple coneflower to grow. Those sturdy, upright stems are bred specifically for cutting, making this as practical as it is beautiful. In a garden, Magnus becomes a reliable summer performer that blooms prolifically and returns year after year across a wide hardiness range.
Magnus Echinacea is grown primarily as a cut flower and ornamental perennial. The sturdy stems and long-lasting blooms make it exceptional for fresh flower arrangements, where the pale pink combines beautifully with both warm and cool color schemes. In the garden, it serves as a reliable, season-long bloomer that attracts pollinators and provides visual interest from midsummer through fall.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start Magnus Echinacea seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds on the surface of moist seed-starting mix and provide light (they need it to germinate), maintaining temperatures around 70°F. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during germination, which typically takes 7–14 days.
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7–10 days by exposing them to increasing amounts of outdoor light and air movement. Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed, spacing plants 24 inches apart and setting row spacing at 48 inches for garden-scale plantings.
Magnus can be direct sown in spring after the last frost, scattering seeds where you want them and pressing them lightly into soil so they receive the light needed for germination.
For cut flowers, harvest Magnus blooms when the petals have opened fully and the central cone is prominent but still fresh-looking. Cut stems in early morning when hydration is highest, and strip lower leaves before placing in fresh water. A single plant will produce successive blooms throughout the season if you continue harvesting.
Magnus benefits from deadheading throughout the summer and early fall to encourage continuous blooming and maintain a tidy appearance. Simply remove spent flower heads by cutting just below the bloom. In late fall or early spring, cut back the entire plant to a few inches above ground level to clear away dead growth and make room for fresh spring shoots.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Magnus represents decades of coneflower refinement and selection. Its development culminated in one of the most prestigious honors in American horticulture when the Perennial Plants Association recognized it as Plant of the Year in 1998. This wasn't arbitrary recognition, it came because breeders had successfully stabilized a coneflower with markedly larger flowers and a distinctive pale pink color that stood apart from the deeper purples of its relatives. The variety arrived as a refined, garden-ready cultivar rather than a folk heirloom, yet it quickly became the standard that other coneflowers were measured against.”