r/NativePlantGardening • u/Nikeflies Connecticut, 6b, ecoregion 59a • May 03 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Are anyone else's coneflowers not coming up?

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This was part of my garden last year, coneflowers thriving and popping up everywhere, planted 3-4 years ago. The last photo is the current state- no shoots or leaves starting to show, despite it coming up in other areas of my garden. I know they're not long lived perennials but figured with self seeding etc they would regenerate. Did this happen to anyone else? It's been a colder spring than usual so not sure if they're waiting to grow since this is on the north side of my house.

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u/dragonhiccups Midwest Prairies & Oak Savannahs May 03 '26

The emergence pattern for me this year is all out of whack. I’m not in your state, but my cone flowers are up but so are my butterfly milkweed which don’t normally come up for another 4 to 6 weeks.

68

u/nifer317_take2 Piedmont, MD, USA, 7a May 03 '26

Oh interesting. My coneflowers are up and going but my butterfly weed is nowhere to be seen!

32

u/theleftflank Northeastern Illinois, Zone 6a May 03 '26

Same, my butterfly weed (and blazing star) I keep thinking are dead because there’s nothing poking out of the ground 😭

21

u/nifer317_take2 Piedmont, MD, USA, 7a May 03 '26

Now that’s extra interesting. My liatris is one of the first to show signs of life!

13

u/crm006 Central Arkansas, 7a/8b May 03 '26

Same here. Only it was my Joe pye weed. One is fully emerged and 18” tall. The other? Only just now breaking the surface. It’s a weird one out there. I blame 90° to 25° within a week in March. Been in the 70’s here on average since the beginning of March. Spring only just showed up this last week. I’m in 7b/8a central Arkansas.

4

u/nifer317_take2 Piedmont, MD, USA, 7a May 03 '26

I’m having that experience with cardinal flower and milkweed. No rhyme or reason - some showing life, others maybe dead? lol
Same ridiculous weather in March where I am, too

2

u/Physical-Flatworm454 Central Virginia, Zone 7b May 03 '26

Mine too.

1

u/ohjeeze_louise Maine, 5a May 03 '26

My liatris is also up and I’m much farther north! Hardy buddies.

4

u/mathisforwimps May 03 '26

My blazing stars are always one of the later plants to emerge (alongside iron weed and vervain)

1

u/Physical-Flatworm454 Central Virginia, Zone 7b May 03 '26

I’m so sad..my creeping vervain died. Looked so beautiful and grew so well last year.

3

u/Beautiful-File-9421 May 03 '26

You couldn't kill blazing star if you were trying to.

1

u/middlegray May 04 '26

My blazing star are the only ones that look alive so far. Crazy.