Suitability for cut flower production — Echinacea purpurea

A morphological feature of Echinacea is its strong and slender upright stems, which ensure the stability of the plants in bouquets. In professional cultivation, preference is given to tall-growing forms, as many modern hybrids are not long enough for creating classic floral compositions.

The plant has a long vase life, with both the flowering stage and the subsequent seed head formation phase holding ornamental value. There are agronomic techniques that allow for the combination of harvesting commercial cut flowers with the collection of medicinal raw materials during the budding phase.

The suitability of the crop for cut flower production is assessed based on standard commercial criteria: length and strength of the flower stalk, appearance of the inflorescence, and the ability to maintain freshness. No specific point-based scales have been developed for Echinacea within the state variety testing system.