How to Collect Seeds From the Milkshake Coneflower

Coneflower is the common name for Echinacea, a perennial flowering species with ornamental and medicinal value. Among the different cultivars, Milkshake is a hybrid plant that produces white double blooms with a yellow center. This coneflower grows 3 feet tall in clumps 2½ feet wide. The plant thrives in USDA Hardiness zones 4 to 8. As a hybrid, Milkshake does not reproduce true to type from its seeds, but you can still collect the plant's seeds after cross pollination.

Echinacea plant genetically different from Milkshake
Hand shears
Paper bag
String or rubber band
Paper towel
Jar

Instructions

- 1
  Grow Milkshake alongside another type of Echinacea so cross pollination can induce seed production, recommends the website Plant Delights.
- 2
  Prune a Milkshake stalk when its bloom fades. Cut the stem near the base of the plant so the stem will be long.
- 3
  Place the dead flower head inside a paper bag with its stalk sticking out. Secure the bag in place with a tied piece of string or rubber band.
- 4
  Hang the Echinacea Milkshake upside down from its stalk. When the flower head dries, it will drop seeds on its own.
- 5
  Pick the seeds from among the flower debris, using your fingers. Place seeds on a paper towel in a well-ventilated room to dry for two to three weeks. Store the seeds in a jar in the refrigerator for up to seven years.

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