| Description | Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea) is an extremely showy, easy-to-grow native prairie flower. A great butterfly attractor. Medium in height and spread. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Wild Flowers |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-8 |
| Sunlight | full sun, light shade |
| Moisture | average, native to dry prairies |
| Soil & Site | average to dry |
| Temperature | tough, easily handles the summer heat |
| Flowers | large 3-4", reddish purple, have a bristly brown-orange central disk, petals are more ridged than some of the other Echinacea. Bloom period starts in mid-July and lasts for 6 weeks. |
| Fruit | achene |
| Leaves | green egg-shaped leaves, coarsely serrated, basal leaves are larger |
| Stems | have short bristly hairs |
| Dimensions | 3-4 feet tall, space 18-24" |
| Maintenance | Can be an aggressive reseeder. |
| Propagation | Moist stratification improves germination. Also division in the spring. Seeds should be collected in October. |
| Native Site | Native to North American Prairies. |
| Misc Facts | Many modern Purple Coneflower cultivars can trace their heritage back to this plant. |
| Author's Notes | There seems to be a lot of yellow flowers blooming at the same time as this plant. The purple color helps it stand out in native plantings. Works good as a long lasting cut flower. This has been a long-lived plant in many of my gardens. |
| Notes & Reference | #09-The Prairie Garden (J. Robert Smith with Beatrice Smith), Prairie Nursery Catalog www.prairienursery.com) |
Cart
