Purple Coneflower
By Lise Fracalossi
Echinacea purpurea
Native to: Midwest and Southeast U.S.
Life cycle: Perennial
Light: Full/Partial Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry
Height: 2-4’
Spacing: 18-24”
Blooms: June-September
Bloom Color: Pink-Purple
Natural Habitat: Man-made or disturbed habitats, forest edges, meadows and fields
Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer (NOT rabbit) Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance
“A prairie classic! Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has a fibrous root system with short woody rhizomes. It is a drought-tolerant perennial that is also deer resistant. Purple Coneflower can be found as far east as Georgia. Plains Indians used the root to treat rattlesnake bites, bee stings, headaches, toothaches, sore throats, and distemper in horses. Coneflowers are still widely used today in pharmaceutical preparations.”
–Prairie Moon Nursery

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Photo (and featured image) by Burkhard Mücke - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0