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Purple Coneflower

Echinaceae purpurea (L.) Moensch

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲ clump of mature, flowering plants

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Purple Coneflower:  (Bayer Code:  RUDPU; US Code: ECPU)

·         Native simple perennial wildflower with fibrous roots that grows 10-36 inches tall; flowering stems are brown to greenish

·         Plants first form a rosette of ovate leaves with  petioles; leaves have toothed margins; leaves may have some stiff hairs; flowering stems have a few leaves on lower portion; stem leaves are usually smaller than basal leaves with shorter or no petioles

·         Head inflorescences are 2-4 inches in diameter, with pink to purplish ray flowers (“petals”) that tend to hang down from the center of the flower; the green to gold to purplish disk flowers form a golden conical mound in the center of the flowers; “mound” turns brown as it dries and disk flowers have sharp, spike-like projections

·         Bracts below inflorescence in overlapping rows, linear to lanceolate

·         Flowering is from late spring to early-fall

·         Found in prairies, right-of-ways, open woods; tolerant of wetter soils than most other Echinacea; a good butterfly  attractant; included in many wildflower seed mixtures

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