Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Also listed as Brauneria purpurea, Rudbeckia purpurea
Also known as Eastern Purple Coneflower, Broad-leaved Purple Coneflower
Climate Match for your location
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Purple coneflower is a hardy perennial with distinctive purple-pink petals radiating from an orange-brown spiky center cone. It attracts butterflies and bees, blooms for months, and requires minimal care once established.
Why grow it
Echinacea purpurea outperforms many ornamental perennials in drought tolerance and poor-soil adaptation once established, making it practical for low-input gardens and naturalized plantings. Compared to other coneflower species, it produces consistently robust blooms over a longer season (typically mid-summer through fall) with reliable self-seeding in appropriate climates. It serves dual roles as a ornamental and a medicinal herb, though growers should verify local regulations if harvesting root material.
Watch out for
Plants may take 2-3 years to reach full vigor and flowering capacity from seed or young divisions. In humid climates or with poor air circulation, powdery mildew can develop on foliage by late season, though this rarely threatens plant survival. Established colonies can spread vigorously through self-seeding in ideal conditions, so deadheading spent flowers helps manage spread if containment is desired.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Notable Cultivars
'Magnus' and 'Fatal Attraction' are among the most popular cultivars, known for their larger flowers and vibrant color. 'White Swan' and 'Harvest Moon' offer alternative colors while maintaining the same hardiness and vigor.
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Purple coneflower is a hardy perennial with distinctive purple-pink petals radiating from an orange-brown spiky center cone. It attracts butterflies and bees, blooms for months, and requires minimal care once established.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Purple Coneflower grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Echinacea purpurea outperforms many ornamental perennials in drought tolerance and poor-soil adaptation once established, making it practical for low-input gardens and naturalized plantings. Compared to other coneflower species, it produces consistently robust blooms over a longer season (typically mid-summer through fall) with reliable self-seeding in appropriate climates. It serves dual roles as a ornamental and a medicinal herb, though growers should verify local regulations if harvesting root material.
Watch out for
Plants may take 2-3 years to reach full vigor and flowering capacity from seed or young divisions. In humid climates or with poor air circulation, powdery mildew can develop on foliage by late season, though this rarely threatens plant survival. Established colonies can spread vigorously through self-seeding in ideal conditions, so deadheading spent flowers helps manage spread if containment is desired.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar herbs you might consider:
Enter your ZIP code to see top native species and strong climate fits for you.
Companion Planting
Notable Cultivars
'Magnus' and 'Fatal Attraction' are among the most popular cultivars, known for their larger flowers and vibrant color. 'White Swan' and 'Harvest Moon' offer alternative colors while maintaining the same hardiness and vigor.