8/29/2025
Echinacea SunMagic
The ThinkPlants team
Echinacea SunMagic are some of the easiest echinacea on the market to grow and are considered to be among the best in class for flower count per plant. They tend to be quite fast to finish and bloom heavily with flowers forming an even canopy over the foliage. SunMagic uniquely branches from the crown, which keeps the habit compact and the foliage lush and full for a finished plant that looks great from all angles. The series is naturally compact and doesn’t need to be pinched for heavy flowering. They have a vibrant and diverse color range, which includes a few “petite” varieties that are even more compact. SunMagic are cold hardy to USDA Zone 4.
Echinacea SunMagic Petite Burgundy.
Echinacea SunMagic have three sub-series. Echinacea SunMagic Vintage come in a full range of vibrant colors and are the largest SunMagic Series. Some of the most popular colors are Electric Orange, Hot Red, Hot Pink, Lipstick, Watermelon, Yellow and Pearl White. There are 15 colors and growing in the SunMagic Vintage Series.
SunMagic Petite Burgundy is a fabulous color with a very compact habit—one of the best behaved out of the SunMagic line. SunMagic Double are new introductions to the series and have been introduced with four colors: Double Yellow, Petite Double White, Double Hot Pink and Double Raspberry.
Planting
For a good start after transplanting:
- Water before transplanting
- Remove liner carefully from the tray
- Plant liner even with soil surface
Light
The SunMagic series can be grown outside under full light conditions. Maintain the following daylength:
- Propagation/rooting TC -> 10 hours
- After transplanting the liner -> 12 to 14 hours
Container size and crop time
Echinacea SunMagic can be grown in a wide range of pot sizes.
- 6- to 8-in. pot with 1 ppp
- 9- to 11-in. pot with 3 ppp
Echinacea SunMagic are hardy perennials and are suitable for fall planting and overwintering. This crop timing will result in very full plants for spring finish. They’re first-year flowering and don’t need a long bulk time or any vernalization to flower. If planted in cooler spring weather, the crop should finish in 12 to 14 weeks from transplant. If planted in early summer when temperatures are much warmer, they should finish a bit faster with a crop time of nine to 12 weeks from transplant. Regardless, of which container and number of plants per pot, no pinch is needed!
Water and feed
- Keep moist; overhead irrigation is fine for Echinacea SunMagic
- Fertilizer under short days should be 15-0-15; long days 20-3-19
Growth media
The SunMagic series will do best when you start with low salt levels.
- Use a well-drained soil mix with coarse components—wood fiber, if possible
- pH 5.5 to 6.0
- Use 0.5 kg/m³ Starter
- Use 2 to 3 kg/m³ SRF (three to four month)
Growth regulators
Most of the SunMagic series are naturally compact, especially if growing any of the SunMagic Compact varieties. Typically, you won’t need any pinch or PGRs. However, if a variety is getting too tall, PGRs can be applied three weeks after transplanting to even out the crop. Once bottom shoots start to stretch apply on a weekly basis Concise/Sumagic. When flower buds are visible, apply PGRs to keep flower stems short.
Temperature
Echinacea love warm weather conditions. Ideal is growing with:
- Day temperatures: 65 to 70F (18 to 21C)
- Night temperatures: 55 to 60F (12 to 15C)
- Temperatures are tolerated up to 90F (32C) without issue
Insects and diseases
The Echinacea SunMagic series doesn’t attract a lot of pests or diseases. Do watch for aphids and monitor for powdery mildew. Well-fed plants should be healthy and strong. GT
Culture information is sourced from bull-plant-genetics.com/sunmagic.